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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28686984">Chasms and Chinks</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/4332/pseuds/4332'>4332</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crossover, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:40:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28686984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/4332/pseuds/4332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was one of the magical places of that world, one of the chinks or chasms between worlds in old times, but they have grown rarer. This was one of THE last: I do not say the last." -Aslan (Prince Caspian) <br/>The chasm called out to Middle Earth, and now the Fellowship-or whoever remains-must answer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Reunions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>
        <strong>A/N: This story may deviate from the strict plotline of either the books or movies of the said fandoms. I err on the side of blending both mediums for the reader's pleasure.</strong>
      </p>
      <p>
        <strong>You're welcome, I'm sorry. Enjoy reading.</strong>
      </p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Aragorn gazed out over his balcony to Gondor, his kingdom. The kingdom he had never thought he would be able to rule-and yet here he was, a king. But at such a price!</p>
      <p>It had been a long time ever since the War, but everything was still vivid in his mind, and he could summon familiar faces to his mind even now. Those he had lost: Theóden, Boromir, Haldir. Of course, there were those who still were alive: Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Merry and Pippin. Frodo and Sam, well, they were at Aman now-a rightful place for one who has suffered so much under Sauron. Then there were his people, the mighty men of Gondor and the Rohirrim, those whose names were forgotten but their deeds continuing on.</p>
      <p>Aragorn found himself smiling and turned to go back inside.</p>
      <p>Maybe it was time for the Fellowship to reunite again.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Gandalf, dressed in blinding white, rode to Helm's Deep on Shadowfax, galloping right into the fortress without nary a call. He knew very well who would meet him there, and he knew he wouldn't be rebuked.</p>
      <p>Sure enough, someone emerged from behind a door, heading down the stairs to meet him. Short and squat with a full beard, the dwarf came over with a wide grin to greet him-hopefully not by a headbump, as it was their custom.</p>
      <p>"Gimli, son of Gloin, Lord of the Glittering Caves!"</p>
      <p>"Gandalf, what brings you here?"</p>
      <p>Gandalf frowned, surprised. "Did you not hear?"</p>
      <p>Gimli squinted up at him and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.</p>
      <p>"The Fellowship-or what is left of them-is called to Gondor."</p>
      <p>Starting, the dwarf picked up his axe and asked if there was another war.</p>
      <p>"No, not at all..."</p>
      <p>Silence. It seemed as if the Dwarf was undecided, so Gandalf extended a hand over to him and bid him ride. "You shall know presently why we are called," he said. "Legolas will be there," he added, knowing that the mere mention of the Elf would be enough to convince Gimli to come along.</p>
      <p>Sure enough in a few moments they were riding away from Helm's Deep, headed towards Gondor and its king.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Back at the Shire a bustling figure ripped the peace apart, a string of curses and exclamations from farmers echoing through the air as he passed through. Like Merry cared-he'd been hearing those complaints ever since he was young and still, even after all his heroics, the townsfolk of the Shire still saw him a whippersnapper. A kinder, bolder whippersnapper at least.</p>
      <p>Merry rushed to Pippin's home, where he found the hobbit already preparing his bag.</p>
      <p>"Oh, Merry!" Pippin exclaimed.</p>
      <p>"Are you ready yet? The escorts are waiting outside."</p>
      <p>"So soon?"</p>
      <p>At this Pippin scrambled to get everything he needed, Merry taking his time gazing around the home of his friend, gazing at the pictures on the wall and the papers on the table, Aragorn's letter among others. He pushed away the scrolls and found something black under them. Picking it up, he raised it up to his face to see what it was.</p>
      <p>A shirt of black hue, a white tree in the middle of it, stars at the tips of its branches-the emblem of Gondor.</p>
      <p>"Ah, right, I'm also bringing that," Pippin said, snatching it from Merry's hands. The tinge of embarrassment mingled with pride was in his voice as he clutched the cloth. "To... to return it to Aragorn."</p>
      <p>"You kept it this long?"</p>
      <p>"Yes... a small reminder of our old adventures." Pippin gazed at the cloak wrapped around Merry's shoulders and smiled. "So I'm not the only one."</p>
      <p>"What? It's warm. I like it. Reminds me of Galadriel and Lothlórien when the four of us..."</p>
      <p>They looked at each other, both thinking the same thing and yet not daring to speak a single word. Frodo. Sam.</p>
      <p>"We've, we've got to go, now," Merry said.</p>
      <p>Throwing a few more items into his bag, Pippin slung it over his back and stepped outside, Merry behind him. The two were heaved up by a soldier each onto their respective horses, and off they went.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>In Mirkwood, inside the palace, Thranduil drew back the drapes to his son's room to see him preparing for his journey.</p>
      <p>"It is a long way from our realm to Gondor," Legolas said, without even looking up from a piece of parchment he held. It was an invitation by Aragorn from Minas Tirith, calling all of them to a 'reunion' of sorts. All who could come, however-Frodo and Sam were at the Undying Lands now, and Boromir, well, even the magic of Elves could not say where his soul rests now...</p>
      <p>"You must leave as soon as you can, then."</p>
      <p>The sunbeams peered into the room, a different kind from before. The darkness that Sauron's magic had cast on Mirkwood had slowly began to lift after the War, and even Thranduil himself could feel the forest become lighter as the air and the rivers carried away the remnants of the evil that enslaved it for so long. Maybe in a few more centuries, it would be called Eryn Lasgalen once more.</p>
      <p>"Bring my greetings to the King of Gondor."</p>
      <p>"That I will do, father," Legolas said as he stepped past his father, a satchel slung around his body. Formerly he would've brought a bow and a quiver, but there was no need of that now. The land was at peace, after so long.</p>
      <p>He left for Gondor and its king.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>As he entered into the courtyard, flowers wafted down from the trees above Legolas, setting everything in a hazy, dream-like paradise.</p>
      <p>And there stood his host, his distinctive crown recognizable even by mortal eyes from such a far distance. If that didn't give him away yet, then his royal robes and soft yet stern gaze would have as he turned to meet him with a smile.</p>
      <p>"It has been a long time ever since," Aragorn said, offering an Elvish hug.</p>
      <p>"A few decades are all but a blink of an eye for us immortals," Legolas said.</p>
      <p>"You are the last to arrive... Gimli, Merry, Pippin and Gandalf await us in the hall. Come, let me take you there."</p>
      <p>They passed through the familiar hallways of the palace of Gondor, the white walls and its balcony still remaining the same, and most of the battle damage from the War of the Ring repaired by Aragorn-the repairs rendering the palace even more glorious than it was before. Truly dazzling. As they passed the courtyard, Legolas noticed the White Tree of Minas Tirith, formerly faded and old and now lush with flowers and leaves as if it was spring.</p>
      <p>The doors to the great hall opened and immediately Merry and Pippin flew from their seats and greeted Legolas, both with playful bows. Gimli sat there, raising his glass of rum in greeting, pleased to see that at least Legolas was wearing something plain. If he hadn't, well...</p>
      <p>"The Prince of Mirkwood," Gandalf greeted, dressed in his immaculate white robes, clutching his staff in hand. "Well, now we are complete!"</p>
      <p>"Let the celebration begin," Aragorn said.</p>
      <p>The feast was grand, even if it was created with the fact that only six people would be eating. Anything that any of them would want or even prefer was there-berries and nuts, venison and meats beside green, leafy vegetables and every kind of wine you could imagine. Desserts, sweets and pastries were piled in one corner with fruits from far lands beside them.</p>
      <p>"This seems too luxurious for such an insignificant event," Legolas remarked, not even knowing where to start.</p>
      <p>Aragorn smiled and leant over. "Well," he whispered, "Have you seen the Hobbits eat, much less Gimli?"</p>
      <p>"I suppose it is not a bad idea to provide more than what is needed..."</p>
      <p>They shared stories of past travels and battles they had gone through together, Gimli insisting almost every five minutes that he beat Legolas in every battle, whereas Gandalf quieted him with the reminder that the result is more important than the path taken to get there. Merry and Pippin burst into song after enough liquor and laughed at Aragorn's flushed face as they told of how he snored on especially warm nights. At one point they'd sunk so low as to throw food each other for a few minutes, which Merry and Pippin started. The whole thing ended with banners torn apart and Gandalf and Legolas arguing as Gimli tried to strangle Aragorn.</p>
      <p>The arrival of a few bewildered servants broke the frenzy.</p>
      <p>Even then, everyone was in good spirits, and yet there was a twinge of gloom in all their revelry.</p>
      <p>Merry, at one point, gazed at the two empty seats with a lonely expression. "It's a shame Frodo and Sam aren't here to celebrate with us."</p>
      <p>"Shame," Pippin said.</p>
      <p>"They are very happy <em>there</em>, lads, the both of them," Gimli said, taking a long draught of rum.</p>
      <p>"They were the ones who won this peace we have now," Aragorn said.</p>
      <p>"It would be a pleasure to have them here once more," Legolas said.</p>
      <p>Everyone fell silent for a long moment.</p>
      <p>"There is no time for such depressing thoughts," Gandalf said, rising to his tall frame. "They would want us to be enjoying this reunion, not wallowing in sadness and pity."</p>
      <p>Aragorn attempted a smile as he raised his glass and nodded. "Gandalf is right. Still, will we have a toast for our other comrades who are not here with us?"</p>
      <p>"Aye!" Gimli said.</p>
      <p>"Aye!" everyone else put in.</p>
      <p>"To Frodo and Sam, and to the Fellowship," Aragorn said. "And to all we hold dear."</p>
      <p>"Cheers!" they all cried, and their glasses chinked together.</p>
      <p>
        <em>chink Chink CHink CHInk CHINk CHINK CHINK CHINK</em>
      </p>
      <p>The sound grew deafening and everything changed, the glimpse of a beach quickly overcome by a blinding ray of light.</p>
      <p>
        <strong>TBC...</strong>
      </p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Of Orchards and Dwarves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The light faded away.</p>
<p>Legolas and Gimli, who were sitting beside each other at that time, found themselves in the midst of a wood, the view of the sea beside them. Legolas got up, gazed above him and around him, then pressed a hand to the trunk of a tree nearby.</p>
<p>"Where-where are we?" Gimli asked. He was also lying flat on the ground, making both of them feel as if they had just woken up from a dream, or from unconsciousness.</p>
<p>"I don't know," Legolas said. "We don't seem to be in Gondor anymore. Are there any forests near there?"</p>
<p>Gimli shrugged. "I believe we must see where we are, then. And who brought us here."</p>
<p>They wandered through the forest for a while, squinting at the sun above them. Legolas leapt up onto a raised part of the ground and stopped all of a sudden, jaw slack and face marked with surprise. Seeing this, Gimli went over to him, unsuccessfully trying to see the horizon.</p>
<p>"What do you see?" Gimli said.</p>
<p>"Something," Legolas absentmindedly said, though he didn't turn, eyes still gazing over the landscape.</p>
<p>Gimli found somewhere else to get a better view and saw why his friend was stunned.</p>
<p>Before them were ruins of what seemed to be an old palace's courtyard, pillars broken and cracked, grass growing in between the cracks. The cathedral-like arch was still visible, though near collapse, and there was a circular platform in the middle. A breeze came, as if to welcome them, and for the first time the two felt the air of the forlorn place, an air that told them that they were somewhere else-not Middle-Earth, but just as magical.</p>
<p>"This palace looks as if it had been attacked."</p>
<p>"My word," Gimli said. "This might've been a glorious place before!"</p>
<p>"Aye," Legolas said, then found a way down to the courtyard, Gimli behind him.</p>
<p>They found apple trees lining the outside ("All the better-at least we won't starve!" Gimli said.) and found a place nearby an ivy-covered wall where they could take shelter from the sun. Sitting down on a rock platform, Legolas saw something catch the sunlight, hidden in the grass...</p>
<p>He took it and raised it for Gimli to see.</p>
<p>"A knight," he said. "From a chess set."</p>
<p>The horse was made of gold, one of its eyes a ruby. The other socket, however, had lost its jewel.</p>
<p>"Fancy that," Gimli said. "The one who owns such a set must be wealthy."</p>
<p>With this he leaned against the wall behind Legolas, which shuddered and slid to the side, revealing portion of a wooden door behind it. Gimli started, then pushed against the rock until it revealed the whole ivy-clad door.</p>
<p>"In the name of Durin," he gasped.</p>
<p>"Let us see what lies within," said Legolas and, finding a sturdy branch, pried the planks apart with the help of Gimli. After hacking and pulling the rotten wood away, they managed to break down enough of the door to make an opening wide enough for both of them to fit.</p>
<p>The inside was well lit with the sun streaming through the roof, stairs leading down below to what seemed to be a treasure chamber, with statues of kings and queens standing behind chests. Despite a few rocks and dust and collapsed columns, the place was safe from whatever attacked the place and Legolas and Gimli wasted no time going down to the chamber and checking things out.</p>
<p>Gimli went over to the chest of the younger king and pushed open the chest.</p>
<p>Gold and silver and weapons dazzled his eyes, jewels and books and coats stacked on top of each other, preserved from the disaster that befell the place. He picked up a helmet, too narrow for him, then took out a dagger just his size.</p>
<p>Legolas picked up a shield resting against the corner, the design crusted with dust. He took a deep breath and blew on it.</p>
<p>The face of a Lion gazed back at him, eyes kind and mane gloriously framing the feline face. His fingers ran across the design and he traced the etchings, intrigued at the reason why such an animal would be presented on golden weaponry. Replacing the shield back where he found it, he walked over to the chest of a queen with a face more mature than the others but younger than the king on on the far right.</p>
<p>He opened the chest, and marveled at what was inside. Dresses and books, the typical things, but what caught his eyes was a bow and a quiver of arrows. Perfect. He was an archer, after all.</p>
<p>Picking up the bow, he ran the hand on the designs of the bow, then took an arrow out and examined its shaft and fletching, which was still firm and untouched. Even the string, which he had assumed he'd have to replace, turned out to be in perfect working order.</p>
<p>"Oh, you've found your own weapons now," Gimli said, walking towards Legolas in full armor, presumably found from one of the treasure chests.</p>
<p>"It befits you well, Gimli," Legolas said.</p>
<p>Opening the chest in front of the eldest king, Legolas pulled out a sword.</p>
<p>"Nay, laddie, won't it be rusted?"</p>
<p>He unsheathed it and the blade caught the light. Well, then, that's all good and well.</p>
<p>He was about to strap it to his side when they heard footsteps coming from above them, then four children–two boys and two girls wearing strange clothes–came to them, surprised. Legolas stepped back, notching an arrow to his bow and standing in front of Gimli, who huffed at him.</p>
<p>"I don't need your protection," he said.</p>
<p>"That's-that's my bow and arrow," the older girl said, her voice catching in her throat.</p>
<p>Legolas and Gimli, although they knew that the children were talking in a different language, through some magic or the world's air, they understood it completely.</p>
<p>"Forgive me, my lady," Legolas said, speaking in the same language and approaching her. "Here. Take your belongings. I did not know that they were of your possession."</p>
<p>The girl took the bow and quiver.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" the eldest said.</p>
<p>"I am Legolas, and this is Gimli."</p>
<p>"Are you Narnians?" the youngest asked. She seemed to be the kindest of the four and she curtsied. "My name is Lucy."</p>
<p>"We are not one of these... Narnians you speak of. We are lost-"</p>
<p>"No, we are not," Gimli said firmly. "So if you will excuse us-"</p>
<p>The eldest gazed at the sword by Legolas' waist and his eyes widened. "That's my sword!"</p>
<p>"You're not very good robbers, now, are you?" the younger boy said, a smirk on his face, tossing something cylindrical in his hand.</p>
<p>"I am most sorry," Legolas said, handing over the sword with a solemn bow, the boy taking it with a similar bow.</p>
<p>"I'll grant you are not robbers?" he said, strapping the sword to his side.</p>
<p>The little girl-Lucy-sneezed and turned a crimson color.</p>
<p>"Shall we settle this outside?" the boy said and after they had taken what they needed (permitting Gimli and Legolas to arm themselves), they went back up outside to the bright sun, where they introduced themselves to each other better.</p>
<p>"So where are you from?" the younger boy said, dark eyes trained on Gimli.</p>
<p>"Well, can we trust you?"</p>
<p>He gave him a smirk and glanced over to his brother.</p>
<p>"We are from another land... I hail from Mirkwood and Gimli from the Glittering Caves," Legolas said.</p>
<p>"I see..."</p>
<p>"May we know your names?"</p>
<p>The eldest nodded, and gestured to each person as he introduced them. "This is Susan, Lucy, Edmund, and I am Peter."</p>
<p>"It is a pleasure to meet all of you."</p>
<p>"Do you want to come with us?" Lucy asked. "If you are lost, you can come with us until you find Mirkwood or the Glittering Caves."</p>
<p>Legolas glanced towards Gimli, who seemed about to veto the idea, and he quickly agreed to accompany them. "It would be our pleasure," he said. "to walk amongst the Queens and Kings of this land."</p>
<p>Peter started and frowned. "How did you know that?"</p>
<p>"Well, Peter, they kind of saw our castle," Edmund said. "Even a <em>Giant</em> could put two and two together."</p>
<p>"It's settled then," Peter said. "Legolas of Mirkwood and Gimli of the Glittering Caves will come with us... at least until they reach their respective homes."</p>
<p>And thus the Pevensies added an Elf and a Dwarf to their small party.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Pevensies, Legolas and Gimli walked through the forests, admiring the forest, picking yet more apples and getting to know each other more.</p>
<p>"So, Legolas, what is Mirkwood?" Edmund asked. "It's a wood, sure, but specifically, what's there?"</p>
<p>"Some of my kind, the Silvan Elves, reside there. I live in our palace, with my father."</p>
<p>"Elves?" Peter said. "I don't remember there being Elves in Narnia before."</p>
<p>"A palace... So you're a king as well? Or maybe a prince of sorts?" Edmund said.</p>
<p>"And you are also a king?" Gimli asked Edmund, eyeing his face and mentally noting how much he looked like the statue in the treasure chamber.</p>
<p>"Yeah. I'm King Edmund the Just, and my brother is High King Peter the Magnificent. Our sisters, Queen Lucy the Valiant and Queen Susan the Gentle, ruled alongside us during Narnia's Golden Age."</p>
<p>"That seems a long time before," Legolas said.</p>
<p>Peter turned to look at him, a nostalgic expression on his face as he added, "Now all of those are but memories of times gone by..."</p>
<p>"Look!" Lucy called out, pointing towards the river under them.</p>
<p>"A boat, with someone inside it..." Susan said.</p>
<p>"My word! There are dwarves here as well?" Gimli exclaimed, recognizing the short stature and face of the man tied up in the boat. Two soldiers wearing armor talked to themselves in a whisper, then picked up the dwarf, about to throw him into the water.</p>
<p>"Don't you dare!" Gimli shouted, raising his axe to throw when an arrow sailed past him, hitting the helmet of the first soldier. He was about to complain to Legolas when he saw the Elf still about to reach for his bow, gazing over at Susan. It might be only him, but he saw the hint of disappointment in his face.</p>
<p>"Drop him!" Susan said.</p>
<p>Both of the soldiers obliged, leaping into the water and throwing dwarf while screaming, "Ghosts!"</p>
<p>Peter dived into the water with Susan by his side to save the dwarf while Edmund headed for the boat. "Legolas, Gimli, before it drifts, quick!"</p>
<p>Three pairs of hands gripped the boat and dragged it to shore, Peter and Susan carrying the dwarf and setting him down on the sand. Drawing her dagger, Lucy cut off the bonds and the dwarf gasped out, spitting out his gag and coughing. Everyone politely waited for him to finish.</p>
<p>When the dwarf started to get up Peter opened his mouth to introduce himself when he was interrupted by an indignant complaint from the dwarf.</p>
<p>"Drop him?! Is that the best you can do?" he spat.</p>
<p>"I don't think he's <em>my</em> kind of dwarf," Gimli said.</p>
<p>Legolas held back the temptation to tell Gimli that he was <em>exactly </em>like that. Behind him Susan opened her mouth to snap at the former prisoner, Edmund managing to keep her from saying anything at all.</p>
<p>The dwarf threw down his gag, glared at about everyone, then huffed and averted his eyes. "But you don't seem to be ghosts anyway, and I am truly obliged, since you saved my life."</p>
<p>"Ghosts? Why should <em>we </em>be ghosts?" Lucy asked.</p>
<p>"I've been told all my life that these woods along the shore was full of ghosts as they were of trees. That's what the story is. And that's why, when they want to get rid of anyone, they usually bring him down here-"</p>
<p>"To leave to the ghosts?" Legolas said, face spelling out skepticism.</p>
<p>"Yes, actually," the dwarf said. "But I wondered if they really didn't drown 'em or cut their throats. I never quite believed in the ghosts."</p>
<p>"Those two cowards of soldiers seemed to believe so, don't they?" Gimli said with a cackle. "Cowards, they are, cowards!"</p>
<p>"Oh," Susan said. "So that's why they both ran away."</p>
<p>They gazed in the direction the men went, a slight breeze blowing. Edmund squinted into the view and faced back to them, disappointed. "They got away to the mainland."</p>
<p>"I wasn't shooting to kill, you know," Susan said.</p>
<p>Legolas and Edmund stared at her, the same thought running through their minds. <em>Of course </em>Susan <em>wouldn't miss at such a short range. </em>When they met eyes, Edmund shrugged.</p>
<p>"Aren't you going to invite me to breakfast?" the dwarf said.</p>
<p>"There aren't anything but apples in this accursed orchard," Gimli said. "Better than nothing, though, I shall suppose?"</p>
<p>"Fresh fish is still better. Never mind that then, looks like <em>I'll </em>have to invite you to dinner then. I saw some fishing tackle in that boat. And anyway, we must take her round to the other side of the mainland coming down and seeing her."</p>
<p>"I ought to have thought of that myself," Peter said.</p>
<p>With that, the party headed to the river and the boat.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Bit of Storytelling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The dwarf, with the help of Peter, caught a good catch of pavenders, delightful rainbow-colored fish. They used Edmund's hat as a basket of sorts. He would've made a grand fuss over this, but he was already hungry enough to clamp down on his words.</p>
<p>At first Peter wanted to camp inside the treasure chamber for safety and shelter, but Edmund and the dwarf pointed out that the smoke would get into their eyes, and it would certainly be tough to breathe. Instead, they opted for camping outside, reasoning that at least if anything happened they could retreat into the castle. Besides, it was still light-odds were that no one would bother them.</p>
<p>"Though that is far from happening," the dwarf said. "since the Telmarines are deathly afraid of the forests and the sea, for that manner."</p>
<p>"Telmarines?" Gimli asked. "What's a Telmarine?"</p>
<p>"They are men from the north of Narnia," Susan said. "The last time we were here they remained in their lands at the West."</p>
<p>"That's been a <em>very </em>long time," the dwarf said. "Centuries ago."</p>
<p>Lucy glanced up at the trees around them-mostly apple trees, but she remembered the stately birches and the solemn birches, how they dance with the wood-maidens at twilight, fauns leaping and rejoicing with them...</p>
<p>"What happened to the trees?" she asked.</p>
<p>"What about them?"</p>
<p>"Well, they used to dance."</p>
<p>Huffing, the dwarf sat down on the ground beside them, gathering the tinder into a pile. "Not long after you left, they fell into a deep sleep after those Telmarines came, and ever since they'd been still."</p>
<p>Legolas watched with deep interest as Edmund lit a match and threw it into the pile, the tinder catching flames. Throwing the sticks into the blazes and gently blowing, soon Legolas had coaxed the sparks to a decent fire, where they soon roasted their caught fish on the embers. The dwarf lit his pipe, 'hm'ed, then looked over to the children. "Now."</p>
<p>"Now what?" Lucy asked.</p>
<p>"Your story?"</p>
<p>"I think it'd best if you told us your story."</p>
<p>The dwarf was thinking about this, then pointed his pipe at Gimli. "You. You don't seem like a proper Narnian dwarf, and I've lived among my people all my life."</p>
<p>"Yes, you don't look anything like the dwarves here in Narnia," Susan said. "You <em>are </em>a dwarf, aren't you?"</p>
<p>Edmund was busy eating his pavender, blowing on his fingers and stuffing the white flesh into his mouth. "They mightn't be from Narnia, then," he put in, words muffled. "Maybe from somewhere else."</p>
<p>Peter shifted in his seat. "From... another world, then?"</p>
<p>Everyone's interest was piqued by now, especially the dwarf's, who seemed to find this theory amusing. Huddling around the fire, they made a half-circle facing Legolas and Gimli, who felt attacked at the moment.</p>
<p>"Tell us where you're from, and why you're in Narnia," Peter said.</p>
<p>"I... We don't know exactly where to start..." Legolas said. "It is a long story."</p>
<p>"All the better," Lucy said. "We love stories."</p>
<p>Legolas and Gimli shared a glance, and Gimli gave a grin.</p>
<p>"Very well then, lads and lassies, and-er-fellow dwarf, settle down. We will tell of our origin as much as we can."</p>
<p>Everyone took their respective seats.</p>
<p>"We come from a land called Middle Earth," Legolas said.</p>
<p>"Dwarves, Elves and Men lived there, birthed by Eru himself."</p>
<p>"Eru?" Lucy said. "Who's that?"</p>
<p>"The Father of All. He is the one who created Middle Earth and all in it. We were called to Rivendell, Gimli and I-"</p>
<p>"Nay, Legolas, you're skipping too much of the details," Gimli said. "I think we must start with the forging of the rings."</p>
<p>The elf was about to retort, but then thought better of it and turned to the Pevensies and the dwarf. "I believe I must tell it as the Lady Galadriel has. It began with the forging of the great rings. These were not simple jewelry-they held great power. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings."</p>
<p>Gimli gave a small snort.</p>
<p>"Go on," Susan said. "We don't have all day."</p>
<p>"Seven-"</p>
<p>"Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls," Gimli said with a tone that said 'you-are-not-going-to-say-<em>that</em>-part-elf'.</p>
<p>"Nine rings were given to the race of men, who, above all, desire power," Legolas said. "Most of them, not all," he added, seeing Edmund fidgeting. He asked if he had offended him.</p>
<p>"Not at all. I guess men in your world and Narnia aren't too far apart," Edmund said.</p>
<p>"Within these rings-as I said-was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were, all of them..."</p>
<p>"Deceived."</p>
<p>As Gimli and Legolas said this in unison, an icy vision flashed through all of the Pevensies' minds, but they steeled themselves and asked Legolas to continue.</p>
<p>"For another ring was made."</p>
<p>"In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom-" Gimli began to say.</p>
<p>"Real creative name," Edmund muttered.</p>
<p>"<em>Ed</em>."</p>
<p>"Sorry."</p>
<p>"The Dark Lord Sauron forged, in secret, a last ring, to control all others. Into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life."</p>
<p>Gimli stopped, and Legolas took a deep breath before whispering the words.</p>
<p>"One ring... to rule them all."</p>
<p>Though it was day, the place seemed to darken, the mere mention of the ring casting a gloomy, desolate mood over all of them. Lucy listened, wide-eyed, and Susan herself found her hand curling around Peter's arm. Edmund wasn't sassing around anymore.</p>
<p>With two puffs of his pipe, the dwarf exhaled. "Continue."</p>
<p>"One by one," Gimli said, picking up the story again. "the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the ring, but there were some who resisted. A last alliance of the men of Gondor and the elves of Mirkwood marched against the armies of Mordor. On the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought a desperate war for the freedom of Middle-Earth. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone."</p>
<p>"It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword," Legolas said. "Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated."</p>
<p>Those words soothed everyone's nerves, as if a great weight was lifted off of them. "Great story," Peter said. "That was quite intense."</p>
<p>"Um, Pete," Edmund said as he saw Legolas pause, face confused. "I think it isn't done yet."</p>
<p>"Not yet?" Lucy said.</p>
<p>Susan paled a few more shades.</p>
<p>"The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death."</p>
<p>Legolas paused, then the last words he said emotionlessly. "And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared another bearer."</p>
<p>Everything was so silent that the whispering of the breeze was deafening, and the quiet coughing of the dwarf echoed multiple times in their minds. Seeing this, Gimli shook himself out. "Well, we shouldn't have told you that, it seems to have brought your spirits down!"</p>
<p>"Yes, we will not finish the story now," Legolas said. "It is of no use to depress you even more than we have."</p>
<p>"It isn't done yet?" Susan asked.</p>
<p>"The Ring isn't destroyed yet, so there's probably going to be a sequel," Edmund said. "That's one sequel I'd be game to hear."</p>
<p>Everyone but Edmund seemed ready enough to listen this time to the dwarf's story, and Peter bid him tell.</p>
<p>"We have wasted much time already, but I'll give you the basics about myself. My name is Trumpkin, and I'm a messenger of Prince Caspian the Tenth."</p>
<p>"Caspian?" Peter said.</p>
<p>"He's on our side," Trumpkin said. "He leads us Old Narnians in a rebellion against Miraz."</p>
<p>"...Miraz?"</p>
<p>Trumpkin looked from one confounded face to another and sighed, puffing his pipe. "It's a very long story, but I'll try to tell you in the shortest terms possible. You see, Miraz took the throne of Caspian. He's a Telmarine, one of the men who invaded Narnia and captured it, not long after you left, actually. Anyway, Caspian sent me here to-er-meet the Kings and Queens of old after his assistant blew Susan's horn."</p>
<p>"His who blew Susan's horn?" Peter said.</p>
<p>"His horseman. Tall guy, sparse beard and tall stride-"</p>
<p>"When?"</p>
<p>"Between nine and ten of the clock," Trumpkin said.</p>
<p>"Just when we were at the railway station!" all of the children said, eyes shining in unison.</p>
<p>Legolas had to ask. "What is a railway station?"</p>
<p>No one noticed him.</p>
<p>"Well, I had to report straight back to him as soon as possible, but then those guards caught me-sent me off to the river in the full ceremonial way. Proud seneschal. Then you came along and here we are."</p>
<p>This shorthand storytelling took only half a minute, but Peter had already put two and two together. "Great Scott, Su! It was <em>your </em>horn that dragged us off the platform to Narnia! I can hardly believe it, and yet it all fits in."</p>
<p>"So outlandish it is believable, huh?" Gimli said.</p>
<p>"Meanwhile," Trumpkin said. "what are we to do? I suppose I'd go back to King Caspian and tell him no help has come."</p>
<p>Susan started. "No help? But we <em>are </em>here. The horn worked."</p>
<p>"Plus, it even called allies from <em>another </em>world," Edmund said. "Isn't that supposed to tell you something?"</p>
<p>"Yes, are we not of any help to you?" Legolas asked.</p>
<p>All this while Trumpkin seemed to have something stuck in his pipe, and he made himself busy trying to clean it out, avoiding any eye contact. "Um-um-yes, to be sure, I <em>do </em>see that, but-well-I mean-"</p>
<p>"Get on with it!" Edmund and Gimli said.</p>
<p>"No offense-but the King is expecting-if you see what I mean-help. To put it straight, they're expecting <em>warriors</em>. And though these two would qualify, and as much as we like children, well, in the middle of a war... I hope you understand."</p>
<p>Edmund flushed a deep red. "You think we're useless."</p>
<p>"Now, pray don't get offended. I assure you, my dear little friends-"</p>
<p>"<em>Little</em>?" Edmund repeated, a growl in his voice. Legolas placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him, but he didn't listen. Typical Edmund behavior.</p>
<p>Edmund jumped up. "I think that's a little too much from you. I suppose you don't believe we won the Battle of Beruna? Well, you can say anything you like because I know-"</p>
<p>"<em><strong>ED</strong>!" </em>both Peter and Legolas said, pulling him down with an arm each.</p>
<p>"There is no use losing our tempers, Your Majesty," Legolas said. "And I thought you were just?"</p>
<p>"He's right, laddie, you can't convince him otherwise," Gimli said, then locked eyes with Peter, who had an odd twinkle in his eyes as he suggested they fit Trumpkin out with armor.</p>
<p><em>What could </em>that<em> lad be thinking?</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>TBC...</em>
  </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They brought Trumpkin down to the treasure house, inviting him to go and gear himself up. As soon as the dwarf saw the immense wealth in each of the chests, Gimli saw the flash of dragon-sickness in his eyes-which quickly dissipated. Peter suited him up with a bow and a quiverful of arrows, along with mail shirts and a helmet.</p>
<p>"It would never do to let Nikabrik see this, never," Trumpkin muttered. "Never!"</p>
<p>Edmund and Lucy, on the other hand, was spending the time looking over their other stuff.</p>
<p>"What is that?"</p>
<p>Legolas peered above Lucy's shoulder to the vial in her hand, filled with a translucent red liquid.</p>
<p>"It's a potion given to me the last time we were here," she said. "Years and years ago."</p>
<p>"The last time...? Then you are not of this world as well?"</p>
<p>"Just as much as <em>you </em>are," Susan said, bitterness in her voice.</p>
<p>For a moment Legolas wanted to apologize again for upsetting her, but Gimli shook his head.</p>
<p>"I find that she is that sort of person," Gimli said. "Best not say anything anymore."</p>
<p>Lucy led the way out, followed by Susan and Legolas, Gimli hanging back a little and listening to the two Pevensies who were talking to each other in hushed voices. A smile settled on Peter's lips.</p>
<p>"No, let <em>me</em>," Edmund was saying. "If I win, it'll be more of a sucks for him, and if he wins, it won't be too much of a let down for us."</p>
<p>"All right, Ed," Peter said. "Go ahead."</p>
<p>When they reached the courtyard ruins of Paravel, Edmund faced Trumpkin and Gimli snapped to rapt attention. He nudged Legolas. "You won't want to miss this."</p>
<p>"I've got something to ask you," Edmund said, a smirk on his face. "We kids don't usually have the privilege of meeting a warrior such as you, and it would be frightfully decent to hold a fencing match."</p>
<p>The dwarf seemed to realize that they were at a perfect place to do so, but he eyed Edmund up and down in uncertainty. "You, laddie?" he said. "These swords are sharp."</p>
<p>"I know, I know. But I'll never get anywhere near you and I'm sure you're clever enough to disarm me without injuring me or otherwise."</p>
<p>"It's a dangerous game you're playing at," Trumpkin said. "But I'll give you a pass or two, if that's what you'd like."</p>
<p>In a moment both swords flashed in the sunlight, Peter urging the rest to give Edmund and Trumpkin enough space to move around. The smile never left his face, even as Edmund took a few good knocks. Swords clashing and feet shifting, the two were at it in amazing speed, rounding each other and leaping off the ground as the blade passed under them.</p>
<p>"It is similar to our form of fighting," Legolas said. "Your brother is good with the sword."</p>
<p>"Twenty years of being a king trains you well," Peter said.</p>
<p>"Oh, <em>do </em>be careful!" Lucy called out.</p>
<p>Left, right, up, down their strokes went until Edmund lunged forward and twisted his wrist in a peculiar way. Next thing they knew, Trumpkin's sword flew into the air and clattered to the ground, Edmund towering over Trumpkin, sword firmly in hand. Trumpkin himself fell, surprised and rubbing his wrist.</p>
<p>"Not hurt, I hope?" Edmund asked, reaching out a hand to help Trumpkin up.</p>
<p>"I see. You know a move I never learned."</p>
<p>"Even the best swordsman can be disarmed by a trick that he has never seen before," Legolas said.</p>
<p>Peter stepped up. "I think we should let Trumpkin have a chance at something else, right? It's only fair. Would an archery match suit you?"</p>
<p>"Ah, I see what you're trying to do. As if I didn't know just how able your sister is with the bow. If you still insist on a match though, I prefer having it with your friend over there." He nodded towards Legolas.</p>
<p>At this Peter turned a few shades paler, but he nodded. "With Legolas, then."</p>
<p>They stood side by side and turned their faces over to the direction of the orchard. "What shall we shoot?" Legolas asked.</p>
<p>"What do you think, Su?" Peter asked. "You're the archer here."</p>
<p>"That apple hanging over the wall would do."</p>
<p>"Nice pick, lassie," Trumpkin said. "The yellow one near the arch?"</p>
<p>Legolas saw her shake her head and point to an apple even farther, hanging over the battlement. He heard Trumpkin mumble something about how it was more of a cherry than an apple, but the dwarf said nothing out loud.</p>
<p>Edmund tossed a coin to see who would go first (much to both Legolas' and Trumpkin's interest, having never seen a coin tossed before), Legolas losing. They stood at the stairs leading to the hall to the courtyard, Trumpkin notching an arrow to his bow and aiming it at the apple. Looking at how he handled his bow, Legolas and the others saw that Trumpkin certainly knew what he was doing.</p>
<p>
  <em>twang</em>
</p>
<p>The apple shook as the arrow flew past it, merely inches from being hit. A leaf came fluttering down.</p>
<p>"Excellent shot," Peter said. "Now, Legolas."</p>
<p>The elf took his position and strung an arrow to his bow. Gimli was quietly laughing in the corner as Legolas aimed, Trumpkin keenly watching him. A moment later, everyone could hear the thump from the apple hitting the ground, Legolas' arrow in it.</p>
<p>"Well done, Legolas," Peter said as Legolas nodded.</p>
<p>"WeLl doNe, LegOLas," Edmund and Gimli repeated in unison.</p>
<p>"You're not too bad with the bow either."</p>
<p>It was Susan, a slight smile on her face, the first Legolas had seen ever since they'd met. In response, the elf returned the smile, soon distracted as Trumpkin took his hand to shake.</p>
<p>"I believe there is a slight breath of wind as you shot, master dwarf," Legolas said. "My shot was no better than yours."</p>
<p>"No, no, there wasn't," Trumpkin said. "I know when I've been fairly beaten. I won't even count the fact that the scar of my wound catches when I pull my arm well back-"</p>
<p>"Oh, are you wounded?" Lucy asked, leaping to her feet, vial already in hand. "Let me see."</p>
<p>Trumpkin turned to her, shaking his head. "None of that," he said. "It's not a sight for young girls-oh, there I go again. If your brother and this lad's as good as gold in their own art, why should I think differently for you?"</p>
<p>At this Trumpkin sat down on the steps and pulled off his hauberk and shirt, revealing a bandaged arm. Coming over Lucy peeled off the bandage, the cut underneath swollen and looked as if it was infected.</p>
<p>"Oh, poor Trumpkin," Lucy said, and dripped a drop of the potion from the vial.</p>
<p>"Eh? What did you do?"</p>
<p>Getting up and running his hand up his arm, Trumpkin tried to reach his wound to see what Lucy had done, but it was at a spot you couldn't quite reach (unless you're a cat). It was amusing, watching him. Eventually he swung his arm to see if it was well and Trumpkin leaped back in surprise. "Giants and junipers! It's cured, it's as good as new!" Then he burst into laughter and gave a slight bow. "Well, for a dwarf, I've made a total fool of myself. I grant Your Majesties will pardon me for my ignorance? Thank you for my life, my breakfast-and my lesson."</p>
<p>The Pevensies told Trumpkin not to worry about it and that they'd quite forgiven him for that.</p>
<p>"What we should worry about," Peter said. "is how we are to get to Caspian."</p>
<p>"The sooner, the better," Trumpkin said. "My being a fool has wasted about an hour already."</p>
<p>Gimli and Legolas hung back for a while, listening closely to Peter and the others plotting out their route.</p>
<p>"It's about two days for us humans, since we can't walk all day and night like you Dwarfs. Where was this Prince Caspian again?"</p>
<p>"At Aslan's How."</p>
<p>"You mean the Stone Table? It's half a day from where we are now, from there to the Fords of Beruna-"</p>
<p>"Beruna's Bridge, we call it," Trumpkin said.</p>
<p>"There was no bridge in our time," Peter said. "We used to get home at teatime on the second day, going easily. Going hard, we could do the thing in about a day and a half, perhaps."</p>
<p>"But remember, it's all woods now, and there's enemies to dodge."</p>
<p>Edmund, sitting, plucked at the grass in front of him, then got up. "Look, do we really need to go the same way that Our Dear Little Friend came?"</p>
<p>"Our Dear Little Friend?" Gimli said with an undisguised burst of laughter.</p>
<p>Trumpkin turned a shade of crimson. "No more of that, Your Majesty, if you love me..."</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the Dwarf, Edmund didn't seem keen on giving the matter up. "May I say our D.L.F, then?</p>
<p>"Ed," Susan said. "Stop it."</p>
<p>"That's all right," Trumpkin said. "A jibe won't harm anyone."</p>
<p>"As I was saying, we needn't go that way. Why shouldn't we row south until we reach Glasswater Creek and row up that? That'll bring us behind the Stone Table, and we'll be safe out at sea. If we start at once, we can be at the head of Glasswater before dark, get a few hours sleep, and be with Caspian pretty early tomorrow."</p>
<p>"What a thing to know the coast," Trumpkin said. "I've never heard of a Glasswater route before."</p>
<p>"And what about our food?" Gimli asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, we'll have to do with apples," Lucy said, hastily getting up from her seat. "Do let's go on. It's nearly two days and we haven't done anything yet."</p>
<p>"And <em>no one </em>is going to have <em>my </em>hat as a fishing basket again," Edmund said.</p>
<p>They packed up a raincoat filled with apples, using the coat as a makeshift bag and went down to the boat.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"That won't fit all of us."</p>
<p>Edmund was right as they took another look at the boat. At most, even though it was notably spacious, it would fit about 5 persons, and they were 7 all in all. Sure, they might fit both dwarves, but someone would have to travel an alternate route. They discussed for a while about who would be privileged enough to ride.</p>
<p>"Lucy and Susan <em>must </em>ride," Peter said. "I won't let them tell me otherwise, and it would be safer for them," he quickly added, seeing Susan about to protest. She glared at Peter for a while, but sat back down and set Lucy beside her.</p>
<p>"Legolas has good stamina," Gimli pointed out. "And he can walk the whole distance pretty quickly."</p>
<p>"I'll take that other path, then," Legolas said, and went to leave.</p>
<p>"Are you seriously going on your own?"</p>
<p>Turning, Legolas saw Edmund laughing and shaking his head. "Do you even have any idea how large Narnia is? You'll get lost, and don't even get me started on how you're an 'Elf' and all that. Even <em>centaurs </em>get lost." Wiping his hands onto his clothes, he stepped out of the boat and went over to Legolas with a smirk on his face. "Looks like I'll have to be your chaperone."</p>
<p>"Chaperone?"</p>
<p>"Babysitter."</p>
<p>"<em>Ed</em>," Peter said, elbowing Edmund with a sigh. "Sorry that you have to be stuck with him. We'll meet back at Glasswater, then? We'll wait for you two before we all leave together."</p>
<p>"Very well," Legolas said.</p>
<p>"And Ed?"</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>"<em>Behave</em>."</p>
<p>"Yes, Dad."</p>
<p>Whirling around to face Legolas, Edmund grinned.</p>
<p>"Well, come on," he said, and plowed his way through the trees, Legolas close behind.</p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Separation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"By Jove, they're off like a shot," Peter said, watching Edmund and Legolas disappear into the woods.</p><p>"I hope they don't get lost on the way to Glasswater," Lucy said, leaning over the boat's edge to dip her hand into the cool water, Susan sitting beside her. "It's such a long way, and Narnia's changed so much …"</p><p>"That's all right, I'm sure they'll be all right," Susan said.</p><p>Trumpkin took a deep draught from his pipe, a hand on the rudder to steer. "It was King Edmund who suggested passing by Glasswater, wasn't it, Your Majesty? I'm sure he knows the path on land as well as the path at sea."</p><p>"I suppose," Peter said.</p><p>They glided on the water quietly, the river reminding Gimli of Amon Hen, the Elvish River they traversed, where Boromir...</p><p>All the while the girls talked to each other about what they called the "Golden Age" of Narnia.</p><p>"Pray tell, lassie, about this Golden Age of yours," Gimli said. "It sounds like a majestic era."</p><p>"Well, Edmund told you of how we were Kings and Queens of Narnia," Susan said, turning to face the dwarf. "Where do you think we should start, Lucy?"</p><p>"We should start with the Wardrobe, and how we got to Narnia in the first place."</p><p>"All right, Lu. There was a war back in London, and we had to escape to the country so that we would be safe. Peter was the one who acted as our father in those times…"</p><p>Since Peter's back was turned to them, Gimli couldn't see the expression on his face.</p><p>"Then Lucy stumbled into the Wardrobe when we were playing Hide-and-Seek, and she found a portal to Narnia." Susan paused. "At first none of us believed her, until we were forced into the Wardrobe and-"</p><p>"Why were you forced into the Wardrobe? Were you playing again?" Gimli asked. The Pevensies turned a curious shade of pink, including Peter.</p><p>"Cricket accident," Peter said shortly.</p><p>"Anyway, we found ourselves in Narnia, and Lucy's friend the last time she was there-"</p><p>"Mr. Tumnus," Lucy said. "He was a faun."</p><p>"What's a faun?" Gimli asked.</p><p>"Oh, it's a half-man-half-goat creature. He was very kind to me. But when we got to his house, he was… gone."</p><p>Lucy bit her lip and she fell silent. While Susan gave her a hug, Peter picked up the story.</p><p>"A robin led us to the Beavers and they told us-"</p><p>"<em>Told you?</em>" Gimli said, mouth half-open. "Well, I never! Talking animals?"</p><p>"Yes, we didn't believe it right away too, but the Beavers led us to their den, and we ate dinner there. They told us of the prophecy that the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve would come to Narnia and break the eternal winter that was on it."</p><p>"A prophecy?"</p><p>"<em>Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,</em></p><p>
  <em>At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,</em>
</p><p><em>And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.</em>"</p><p>Gimli rubbed his beard. "Who is <em>he</em>?"</p><p>Peter looked at him, smiling.</p><p>"Aslan."</p><p>The dwarf took a deep breath, eyes widening, a crazed shot of undecipherable joy and contentment rushing through him like a rocket. "Well, this chap sounds quite like a jolly fellow!" he said. "A noble man."</p><p>"Man?" Peter said. "What do you mean? Aslan's no man-he's a <em>lion</em>."</p><p>Opening his mouth to retort, Gimli stopped, his words dying on his lips before he could get them out. He'd wanted to laugh, but then he realized that Peter was telling the truth. "Then... all animals... they <em>talk </em>here in your world?"</p><p>Susan, Lucy, Peter and Trumpkin all gave him odd gazes. "Yes," Susan said. "Almost all of them. There's still witless ones, though."</p><p>"In <em>our </em>world they don't speak at all. Don't animals speak in <em>your</em> world?" Lucy said.</p><p>"Ha! Just wait until you meet Trufflehunter and Glenstorm. I'll get a kick out of you, I see," Trumpkin said, laughing.</p><p>"Trumpkin, look out!"</p><p>The boat was headed right towards the rocky cliff face on their right, and Trumpkin managed to turn the rudder, saving the boat from destruction. They barely grazed it. Everyone gave a breath of relief, most of all Peter, whose oars almost broke as it hit the rock. "We can't have any of that anymore," Peter said shortly. "We should focus more on the journey."</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, Edmund and Legolas were weaving their way through the thick woods and forests, pushing away branches and ducking under the sturdier, lower ones.</p><p>"So, you-don't belong—to this world either?" Edmund asked, leaning on a tree.</p><p>"No. I belong to Middle Earth, as I have said before."</p><p>Edmund sat down on a rock, wiping sweat from his forehead. It was still far from Glasswater, even at the rate they were going, and Edmund needed a short break. When he thought hard about it though, he realized that a same journey back at home would have drained him. He grinned. Narnian air never failed to sustain him.</p><p>"Hey, Legolas, wait. I need a breather."</p><p>Legolas stopped. "Very well," he said, and took a seat beside Edmund.</p><p>"The first time we came here was in the middle of winter…"</p><p>Peering up at the trees and at the beams of sunlight falling down, Legolas frowned. Winter? This seemed to be the last place you'd expect winter. But again, it might've been a different season then.</p><p>"How long of a winter was it?"</p><p>"A hundred years."</p><p>"A <em>hundred </em>years?"</p><p>Edmund grinned and picked at the moss beside him. "We came to break the spell, at least that's what the prophecy said. And believe me, I wasn't really working according to the prophecy at that time. It's a good thing, though, that I was rescued."</p><p>"From whom, and who saved you?"</p><p>Edmund looked at Legolas.</p><p>"The White Witch. She told me I could be her King-more like her puppet-but when she had no more use for me she would have very gladly slit my throat right then and there. Good thing Aslan sent a rescue party to, well, rescue me."</p><p>
  <em>Aslan.</em>
</p><p>The trees around them trembled at the mere mention of the name, and Legolas felt queer, as if someone or something had breathed on him. The air smelled sweet and enticing, and a shot of joy tingled through him and wrapped around him like a blanket.</p><p>"This feeling, I have felt it before," Legolas murmured, then it hit him.</p><p>
  <em>Aman.</em>
</p><p>He felt this way when he first heard of Aman and Erú Ilúvatar.</p><p>Sitting beside him Edmund gazed into Legolas' face, amused at the surprise and shock he saw there. "Why, have you heard of Aslan before? What's happened to you?" Edmund waved a hand in front of the elf's face and Legolas looked up.</p><p>"Please forgive me. I was in deep thought."</p><p>"He has that effect," Edmund said. "I don't suppose we'd be able to see him right away, though. After all, he isn't a <em>tame</em> lion."</p><p>"What is a lion?"</p><p>"It's like a cat, but bigger and he has a mane of gold hair."</p><p>"An-an animal, then?"</p><p>"Yes?" Edmund grinned, but this time a little confused.</p><p>"A <em>talking </em>animal?"</p><p>"The King of all other Talking Animals, actually."</p><p>"<em>There's more?!</em>"</p><p>Whenever Edmund thought of this in the days ahead, he would, without hesitation, pay a hefty amount only to see Legolas' horrified face as he said this. He had gone about 5 shades paler, frowning and lips sealed shut.</p><p>Hastily getting up, Legolas walked a few paces off. "I think we've had enough of a breather, haven't we? We must be going."</p><p>While they trod through the forest, Edmund chuckled to himself as Legolas started at the birds cawing to each other and at the quiet shuffling of the grass. They scrambled over rocks and weaved through trees, peering at the sunlight and pushing away more branches and stepping on twigs.</p><p>Edmund was thinking about the wonderful breakfast they'd have at Caspian's place when he stumbled into Legolas, who had halted all of a sudden. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked. "We're going on the right path, trust me."</p><p>"There is someone tracking us-listen! Don't you hear their footfalls?" Legolas hissed.</p><p>Instead of snapping back, Edmund fell silent and strained to hear whatever Legolas had sensed. Based on a book he'd read (something with towers in the title) elves had a keener sense than humans did, though Edmund thought that it was what they called a <em>third eye</em>. All nonsense, at least until now.</p><p>They continued on, all senses on high alert. Every movement and every scuffle sent shivers up their bodies.</p><p>"They are getting closer," Legolas said, and Edmund saw the glint of armor in the bushes.</p><p>"Better get an arrow on your bow, then."</p><p>Legolas obliged, and they went even slower and more cautious.</p><p>"Shouldn't we pretend we don't know they're there?" Edmund asked.</p><p>A whizz and something slim and swift flew by Edmund, nearly hitting him. More of the thin things flew through the air, hitting the trees. It was only then that Edmund realized what they were-</p><p>"Arrows! Telmarine arrows!" Edmund cried out, drawing his sword. The Telmarines, who had probably seen them while they were taking a breather, now came upon them, a volley of arrows raining down on them. Beside Edmund, Legolas was already shooting arrows as fast as he could. He hit a soldier to his right, then another with his sword raised above him. Whoever Legolas wasn't able to take down Edmund attacked with his own sword.</p><p>From the first soldier he killed Edmund took a sword, then used both his swords to cut sown soldiers left and right, blood flying everywhere. For a moment he felt a surge of adrenaline, reminding him of his battles from long long ago, at Beruna.</p><p>The small duel was doing the same to Legolas, and he seemed to see the likeness of an orc in the faces and movements of the soldiers. He fought well, taking down two to three at a time. Out of habit he shouted, "Fourteen!"</p><p>"What?" Edmund shouted back. "What do you mean fourteen?" he added, slicing down the neck of a Telmarine about to stab him.</p><p>"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen!" Legolas continued as he kept on shooting.</p><p>"Oh, I see," Edmund said, then slashed down a soldier. "That's probably about eleven-twelve-thirteen-well, by Jove! This is some fun!"</p><p>After a few more minutes they had finally killed all the soldiers, Edmund standing over the corpses and wiping the blood and sweat off his face. "Well, that's done," he said, peering up at the sky.</p><p>Behind him a soldier scrambled to his feet, sword ready to stab Edmund.</p><p>"Ed-!" Legolas shouted, reaching behind him for an arrow-</p><p>His hand grazed the empty quiver.</p><p>Fortunately for him, Edmund whirled around and easily cut down the soldier, then smiled at Legolas. "<em>Now </em>it's done."</p><p>They paused in silence for a while, then Edmund looked around again, an expression of confusion and worry on his face as he walked around for a while in circles. "Umm..." he said. "Um."</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"I-I think we're lost."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Legolas said, his stomach sinking.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>They stood there in dejected realization. "Those blasted Telmarines led us away from the path," Edmund said. "That's it. I'm sorry Legolas, but I don't know how far we've gone."</p><p>"Let us try to find our path again," Legolas said, voice shaking.</p><p>Edmund nodded. "Actually, I think we just <em>might </em>be able to find our way-at least to Aslan's How-if we find the River Rush."</p><p>And on they went.</p><hr/><p>Meanwhile, the others had arrived to Glasswater relatively safely, and they set up camp and a fire, then nodded off to sleep. At least, everyone else except Lucy.</p><p>"I'd rather wait for Edmund and Legolas," she said. "They might be coming soon."</p><p>"Gimli can do that, Lu," Peter said. "Go to sleep, you're tired. You too Susan. You're probably tired from all that rowing earlier."</p><p>"Tired is an understatement..." Susan said, lying down near Lucy. Within a few <em>minutes</em>she was asleep, and so was Trumpkin and Peter. Only Gimli was awake, sitting against a tree and and looking out into the night, Lucy going over to him.</p><p>"Aren't you going to rest?" Gimli asked. "Shouldn't you obey your older brother, lassie?"</p><p>"I'm not tired," Lucy said. "Is it okay if I watch for them with you?"</p><p>Gimli nodded and moved over to let Lucy sit beside him. They talked about their own respective worlds, Gimli narrating the War of the Ring (admittedly biased to dwarves) and Lucy teaching him the constellations in the Narnian sky and their rule in the Golden Age. For hours they went like this.</p><p>"And that's-yawn-Leopard," Lucy said, squinting up at the sky at pointing at the constellation.</p><p>"You've been awake long enough," Gimli said. "Go ahead and sleep now, I'll wake you up if Legolas and Edmund have arrived."</p><p>"I'm worried about them, especially Edmund. I feel as if something bad happened to them."</p><p>"Nay, I'm sure they're on their way. Walking is slower than taking a boat, anyway. Don't worry about it."</p><p>Reassured, Lucy went over to the campfire on Gimli's goading, then laid down on the grass.</p><p>The night rolled on quietly.</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Moonlit Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While the Pevensies waited for Legolas and Edmund, the Telmarines were waiting for another thing.</p><p>Within the fortress of Miraz, guards patrolled the walls, most of the guards on alert for trouble. Most of them were grouped together, chatting in hushed tones. Some preferred to be alone and lounged under the stone archways.</p><p>One of them was with two children wearing the uniform of the Telmarines, and yet they had the voices of men. Their faces were hidden, until the moonlight hit one of the 'childrens' faces-they were the faces of men.</p><p>"So, Armix, what happened?" he asked.</p><p>"We weren't able to find Caspian," Armix said. "He seems to have escaped-"</p><p>"Or caught by the Old Narnians, or maybe consumed by the ghosts," the other child said.</p><p>The other two predictably flinched. "Merry..."</p><p>Armix rose from his seat on a stair and held out a hand for them to stop. "There is someone coming. I'll go see who it is and lead him away so we can talk without being heard."</p><p>Merry and Pippin nodded, hid behind one of the gigantic columns and peered by the side to see who it was. "Look, it's Sopespian and Glozelle."</p><p>"Those two again?" Pippin asked. "I heard they're trying to overthrow Miraz."</p><p>"Good luck to them," Merry said.</p><p>Armix returned, a troubled look on his face. "They failed to capture Caspian."</p><p>"And what does that mean?" Pippin asked.</p><p>Armix shrugged.</p><hr/><p>Lucy was trying her best to sleep, but somehow, being less tired than the others, she couldn't quite do it. She kept gazing up the dark sky and the Narnian stars, at the Hammer and the Ship and the Leopard. She whispered the name of the Leopard under her breath.</p><p>Instead of falling deeper into sleep, she found that she was becoming more and more awake, and she scrambled to her feet. The air held her in a dream-like state and she walked towards the forest, peering around the trees and gazing up at their leafy branches. A nightingale was perched on a branch, singing short spurts of song as if it was warming up for a concert.</p><p>"This is lovely," Lucy sighed. Adding to the intoxicating air came scents-cool, fresh and pleasant, as if caressing her skin. She looked forward and saw a lighter part of the forest ahead, and she pressed on to get there. The trees grew sparser and more and more patches of moonlight pooled on the ground, the moonlight dancing and mingling with the shadows. As if this was not enough, the nightingale burst into full song.</p><p>When Lucy's eyes finally adjusted to the light, she saw even the smallest details on the trees nearest her, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She placed her hand on a birch-she would be a beautiful maiden, with a quiet, lilting voice. And this oak! He would have a beard of leaves and moss, with a warty nose and a wrinkled fingers and hands. Then, gazing up at a beech, she sighed. She would be the most beautiful of all-a proper goddess, with kind eyes and flowing hair laced with flowers.</p><p>"Trees, Trees, Trees," Lucy whispered, surprised at her own voice. "Don't you remember me? It's been so long, wake, wake, wake-Hamadrayads, Dryads, come out, come to me!"</p><p>Though she didn't notice it, Gimli had followed Lucy, concerned for her safety. Hearing her calling to the trees, he looked up at the beeches and birches, shuddering just as the trees did. "By Erebor, the trees hear her?"</p><p>Everything went still and silent, the leaves rustling and shivering as if in response to Lucy's call. Lucy strained to hear them, whatever they wanted to say. It seemed, as if at any moment, the trees would move.</p><p>That moment never came.</p><p>The rustling died, the nightingale sung again, the wood resumed its ordinary look. Even under the moonlight, everything seemed perfectly normal and ordinary forest, with nothing magical at all. Lucy felt as if she would burst in tears, but she shook her head. Something, she'd missed, or added, or said too soon. At any rate, she suddenly felt tired and went back to the camp-</p><p>"Ouch!"</p><p>-bumping into Gimli in the process.</p><p>Lucy's face turned a healthy crimson as Gimli helped her up. "You-you followed me?"</p><p>"I was worried for you," Gimli said. "I'll won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."</p><p>They returned to camp, where, fortunately, no one was awake yet. Immediately Lucy fell asleep beside her brothers and sister.</p><hr/><p>Edmund pushed through the trees. "This looks like a good place to stay the night," he told Legolas. "Let's make a fire-"</p><p>"We shouldn't," Legolas said. "It might attract attention. Maybe another of those-those Telmarines."</p><p>"Good point."</p><p>They'd plodded on through the forest, Edmund having no luck retracing their steps whatever he did. He vaguely wondered if they were intentionally being prevented from finding their path or if Fate was playing with them.</p><p>Yawning, he said, "We might as well get some rest... at least I will. You aren't tired, are you?"</p><p>Legolas nodded.</p><p>"Thought so. Can you keep watch? Just... wake me up... when it's my... my shift..."</p><p>With this Edmund sank down into sleep as comfortable as he could, Legolas sitting against a tree and looking out into the moonlit forest. Memories of Mirkwood rushed into his mind unbidden, the trees over him creating a canopy where the sun-moon, at this time-shone down. The birds singing and the air blowing against his face, the sound of the Enchanted river rushing...</p><p>Rushing! Legolas leapt to his feet and strained his ears to catch even the slightest sound. And there, he realized, he heard water!</p><p>He was about to rush off and look for the source of the sound, but then stopped and looked at Edmund, who was fast asleep. At first he swung between waking him up or not, but then erred on the side of letting Edmund catch up on his sleep. Besides, Legolas could easily find his way back to their camping site-and if he did find a river that could give them some sort of direction, he would return to inform Edmund of this.</p><p>So he went alone.</p><p>Following the sound of rushing water meticulously, Legolas walked through trees and bushes, slowly but surely getting closer and closer to the source until he finally found it.</p><p>A river right below them churned and gurgled as it went on its course, two cliffs on either side of it. They were at the left gorge, and gauging the direction Legolas realized that it was flowing North. He remembered Edmund mentioning something about the River Rush...</p><hr/><p>"Edmund..."</p><p>"Five more minutes..."</p><p>Legolas shook him harder, and Edmund opened his eye a crack. When he saw the elf's face, he nodded, grumbled and sat up, wiping away the sleep from his eyes.</p><p>"I think I've found your river," Legolas said.</p><p>"The Rush?" At this Edmund predictably perked up. "Are you sure?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Then by Jove, let's follow it!"</p><p>Legolas led the way through the forest, but all of a sudden paths that seemed so clear before now grew darker and muddier. He slackened his pace, straining to hear the sound of water, which by now came from all around them. The trees shivered.</p><p>Edmund frowned as Legolas stopped in his tracks, confused. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"I can't hear the river anymore."</p><p>"What?!"</p><p>Their hearts sank in their chests-they must've strayed too far away from the river, with this muddling, hazy night. Desperately they tried to find their way back at least towards the camp, but both knew that they were being led astray. By magic or by enchantment, they couldn't tell.</p><p>Then the moon shone blindingly bright on them.</p><p>The trees and bushes were different and they found themselves in a clearing in the middle of the woods, where there were less trees and brighter moonlight which, unlike earlier, wasn't muffled at all. The place held them there, as if it was enchanted, and they found that they walked on, their weary bodies and feet healed by the moon's rays. As Edmund looked up, a star amongst others shone brightly-Alambil, the lady of Peace. It moved as they moved, as if leading them on.</p><p>"Look, Legolas. That's Alambil, and she's leading us somewhere."</p><p>Instead of retorting, Legolas merely gazed up at the star and nodded in agreement. "It's beautiful."</p><p>As they continued on, the star grew brighter and brighter until it was right in front of them, a sparkling, sparking ball of pure light. Even at this proximity, the two didn't feel as if they were burning-it felt more like basking in a warm bath after being out in the snow for hours. A delicious warmth.</p><p>Soon they found themselves on the gorge beside the Rush, and both sighed in relief-that is, until they noticed what was happening to the star.</p><p>The star shrunk, then changed size and form.</p><p>Edmund and Legolas stopped in their tracks.</p><p>The star was no longer a star.</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Testy Mornings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucy woke up to a dismal, grey morning. Everyone else, much more tired than she is, loathed the weather and another tasteless breakfast of apples.</p><p>"Apples, heigh-ho," Trumpkin said. "I guess you kings and queens don't overfeed your courtiers now, do you?"</p><p>They stood up to stretch their sore muscles (more on the side of Susan and Peter) and looked up at the weary canopy above them. Trees, trees and more trees. Even Lucy wondered when on earth would they get to the plain at the stone table and to a wonderful breakfast at Caspian's.</p><p>"I'll warrant that your Majesties know the way?"</p><p>Susan shook her head. "I've never seen this place before. I think we should've just followed the river."</p><p>"Then you should've said so at the time," Peter retorted.</p><p>"You all were so intent on using Glasswater that I never had the chance!"</p><p>"You could've spoke up and voted in favor of that. Why didn't you even speak?"</p><p>"Are you trying to pin this on me?"</p><p>Trumpkin shook his head and shrugged. "Settle down you two, we're all on edge today."</p><p>Behind him, Gimli arrived. He'd wandered off a little, hearing a sound in the night, and only now did he return. "Good morning, lads and lassies," he said, then noticed their downcast faces. "Not too good of a morning then?"</p><p>Lucy gazed around, then turned to Peter and Susan. "I know why we're all testy," she moaned. "Edmund and Legolas haven't arrived."</p><p>"You don't think they got lost?" Susan said.</p><p>At this Peter thought for a moment, then shook his head. "It's not like Edmund. I'm sure he'd find his way back whatever happens."</p><p>"Or they might've been captured by Telmarines. Or killed by wild bears," Trumpkin said.</p><p>Lucy's face turned white and she shook her head as if to banish the thought. "It can't be…"</p><p>"Legolas is a good archer just as Edmund is an excellent swordsman," Gimli said. "Whatever happened to them, bears or Telma-what-do-you-call-it aren't going to find it easy to overcome them combined."</p><p>Peter was thinking in silence all this time and snapped his fingers to get everyone's attention. "Well, if they were captured… or killed—" He gulped at this, but steadied his voice. "—then we must get to Caspian all the more sooner, to either save them or avenge them. Is everyone with me?"</p><p>The others looked up Peter, who suddenly assumed a kingly air—he wasn't Peter of Finchley anymore—he was High King Peter of Narnia once more. And no one, much less Lucy or Gimli, had any doubt that whatever the High King decreed would come to pass, and that good would come out of it somehow. With this, Gimli let a laugh.</p><p>"Whatever His Majesty says, I shall follow," Gimli said.</p><p>"So will I," Trumpkin says. "It's my duty to you and to King Caspian."</p><p>The party left without their two other companions.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Do not fear, travelers," the star said, assuming the human form of a lady clothed in white. Her hair fell down her back in waves. Both Edmund and Legolas couldn't help but sink to their knees.</em></p><p>"<em>No, don't do that!" the lady said. "I am not to be worshipped."</em></p><p>
  <em>They rose, faces pale under her white light. "You are… a star?" Legolas said. "The stars in my world do not take such forms as you do."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The lady smiled, and something flashed in Legolas' mind, a face he knew well…</em>
</p><p>"<em>You know me in your world by another name," she said, smiling. "In Narnia I am known as Alambil, the lady of Peace."</em></p><p>
  <em>A sacred silence ensued, neither one of them willing to break it until Alambil did. "I am sent by Aslan to speak to both of you, but more so to you," she said, referring to Legolas. "Your duties in your world are finished, and the clouds of war have passed from your skies. Here in our world, however, that is not the case. Which is why you are called here."</em>
</p><p>"<em>So we need him-them?" Edmund asked.</em></p><p>"<em>In a way," Alambil said. "But I do not say that it is the only reason they have been called."</em></p><p>
  <em>Legolas continued to gaze at Alambil. "But my lady, how have we arrived to Narnia? And how can we speak their language? It is all a mystery to me."</em>
</p><p>"<em>You have been called by Aslan through one of the chasms in your world," Alambil said. "I cannot say completely why, much less how. You must only trust Him. That is all you will need."</em></p><p>
  <em>Edmund and Legolas nodded. "Please, Lady Alambil, can you tell us how to get back to my brother and sisters?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She smiled and shook her head. "I am afraid you will take a different path from what they will take. You will be needed elsewhere, after all. Do not worry, they will be fine."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sky turned from dark blue to lightening grey. "Trust Aslan. He will lead you where you must go."</em>
</p><p>Edmund woke with a start, fresh dew drenching him in water. He turned to find Legolas wake, eyes flitting as he looked around in surprise and wonder. They met eyes, both in the same state emotionally and physically.</p><p>"She's… gone," Legolas said, gazing up at the sky as if he expected Alambil to be there watching them.</p><p>"Yes," Edmund said.</p><p>Silence, then they scrambled to their feet. "Come on," Edmund said, and they wandered into the forest, following the direction of the Rush.</p><p>"Are you sure this is the way?" Legolas asked after a long while. "It is not that I do not trust you, but we might run into a trap or an outpost of... of..."</p><p>Edmund grinned at him. "You mean Telmarines?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Edmund peered across the gorge, shading his eyes with a hand and shaking his head. "They're nowhere to be seen," he said. "Besides, you saw how we whipped them back there."</p><p>"Even then, we must be careful."</p><p>"True."</p><hr/><p>Morning dawned at Miraz's castle, Merry and Pippin fast asleep, Armix hiding them in the armory, safe out of view. Once he'd made sure that they'd be safe there, he walked back out to his post, finding Miraz's wife walk by, her young son in her arms. The little prince. No wonder Caspian left.</p><p>As he pondered this, Armix reflected back to when he first met the two 'children' in his care. They'd been found at the gates of the castle on his night watch, unconscious and snoring. He'd wondered at first whether they were Dwarves, but then realized that they wouldn't reach the height these strangers were at. Maybe half-Dwarves?</p><p>He'd looked around to see if someone was looking, then dragged the two bodies somewhere hidden. Dwarf or not Dwarf, those two would be in trouble if they'd stayed there all night. Someone was bound to run them through with a sword. For him, though, they seemed harmless.</p><p>And they were. When they awoke and told their stories about a certain Middle Earth and how they didn't recognize Narnia, he'd concluded that they either have amnesia or was mad. After conversing a little bit more with them, he canceled out the second option. These men were most definitely <em>not </em>mad.</p><p>"We're really grateful you took us in, aren't you Merry?" Pippin said then.</p><p>Merry nodded, giving a smile.</p><p>When Armix's fellow soldier saw them, he'd lied that they were his squires. And thus they became.</p><p>Armix stood up and saluted as his superior passed-the proud Sopespian. Oh, by the heavens above, how he disdained that man! But then again, it's not like you can pick your colleagues or your bosses...</p><p>"Good morning, sir," he greeted when Sopespian gave him a dirty look.</p><p>"Yes, it is," Sopespian answered dryly. "It is."</p><p>Armix nodded and went back to his post. He leaned against the stone walls, but then snaps back to attention when he saw Glozelle this time appearing. "Good morning, sir."</p><p>"Any news about Caspian?" he asked.</p><p>Armix flinched internally. Why did it have to be <em>him </em>who had to break it to him?</p><p>"He hasn't been found yet, sir."</p><p>Instead of flaring out at him, Glozelle merely glared at him, then gestured for him to follow, which Armix did-reluctantly.</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. King Meets King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first, the Pevensies and the Dwarves managed to get through the forest at a crisp pace, even thinking a few times that they had struck on a path. If you know anything about woods, as Peter, Trumpkin and Gimli did, the paths you usually find aren't paths at all. This is why people get lost so often in the woods, sometimes even to their deaths.</p><p>After plodding on for what felt like three hours, Trumpkin froze and demanded the other with a sharp whisper to stop.</p><p>They all did.</p><p>"There's someone-something following us."</p><p>Susan notched an arrow to her bow as soon as Trumpkin spoke, looking around her to the dark woods. Gimli lifted up his axe on the alert, already seeing what Trumpkin was speaking of, and instinctively stood in front of Lucy. Whatever happened, he didn't want her to get hurt.</p><p>At Peter's nod, they all continued on.</p><p>As much as possible they tried to keep away from the woods, sticking to the open woodland to their right to keep away from whatever it was that was following them. Eventually though they had to press to a dense part of the forest, but everyone kept a look-out, and it appeared as if their alarm was unfounded.</p><p>Then something dark leaped out of the shadows at Lucy, already upon her before Gimli could even react. Soon though, the Dwarf swirled around and cracked whatever it was on its skull, blood spurting everywhere. Two arrows ensured the creature's death, respectively from Susan and Trumpkin. Peter rushed to Lucy, pushed the corpse off of her and sighed in relief once he saw that she was okay.</p><p>"By Jove, that was <em>too </em>close!"</p><p>Gimli inspected the animal, which turned out to be a gray bear. Turning, he saw Trumpkin saying something to Susan, who was still pale until now.</p><p>"...left your bow too late."</p><p>"I thought it might be... you know... a Talking Bear."</p><p>"That's the problem with it," Peter said, helping Lucy up onto her feet. "We don't know anymore. It seems as if there are more dumb beasts than those who <em>do </em>have minds here in Narnia."</p><p>"You cannot risk it anymore," Gimli said. "If anything like that happens again, then we might not be too fortunate. But, my lady, are you all right?"</p><p>Lucy flushed a deep red and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Gimli."</p><p>"Everyone must be more wary, okay?" Peter said. "Let's move on."</p><p>Trumpkin hastily spoke. "Wait, Your Highness, I know you're hoping for a grand breakfast at Caspian's camp, but meat's precious scarce there."</p><p>Both of them turned to see Gimli stiffen at the mention of 'precious', as if he was deeply troubled.</p><p>"...and there's good eating on a bear. I say we stay-only for a while, of course-and take a bit of its meat. Master Dwarf and High King, I grant you know how to skin a bear?"</p><p>The two girls paled and excused themselves, making the others smile fondly at them as they went off.</p><p>"Let's get started, then," Peter said.</p><hr/><p>Edmund and Legolas finally reached a clearing in the woods leading to, they hoped, Aslan's How.</p><p>Before they could take another step creatures leaped out of nowhere, fauns and satyrs and dwarves, quickly surrounding them and making sure they saw their weapons drawn. Other persons, men this time, led them-one with his head covered with a heavy hood and the other with a strong stance and armor. Legolas noticed firsthand how this guy had his hair game on straight, then the familiarity of this other person, despite the covering on his face.</p><p>They met each other's gaze, then the man started, as if disbelieving. He held out a hand to stop the others from attacking, then drew back his hood. "Legolas...?" he said, haltingly, his voice trembling.</p><p>Edmund looked at Legolas' face marked with the same expression, the elf's hand flying to his face. "Aragorn?"</p><p>Indeed, it was Aragorn, and the man with him he introduced as Prince Caspian. "I thought I would never see you again, old friend," Aragorn said, patting Legolas' shoulder. "Come, it will not do to talk here-come with us to Aslan's How, where we can catch up on each other's adventures."</p><p>While they walked, Edmund introduced himself to Aragorn and Caspian as <em>King</em> Edmund the Just. For a very long while, Caspian was tongue-tied, unable to speak apart from a clumsy greeting.</p><p>"So, Caspian, Aragorn's your...?"</p><p>"Teacher-at least in the terms of fighting and practicality. My academic teacher is Doctor Cornelius."</p><p>"Where's he?"</p><p>"...He's not with us."</p><p>Edmund flinched. "He's <em>dead</em>?"</p><p>"No!" Caspian said, doing some flinching himself. "I meant we were unable to take him here when I escaped from the castle. We were able to take along my other tutor, however, which I will introduce to you later. He's an intelligent old man, and I think you'll find him interesting."</p><p>"Huh."</p><p>"By any chance, is the High King and the Queens with you, or are you the only one sent by Aslan?"</p><p>"Not at all, they should be coming here soon. We'd gotten separated, so Legolas and I don't know where they are right now."</p><p>Caspian nodded and dwelled on this at first, then hit on an idea. "Should I send a search party to find them?"</p><p>"Well, there's sentries in the woods too, the last time we looked. Might be a good idea <em>not </em>to send anyone."</p><p>At this Aragorn started and looked behind him, frowning and looking troubled. "That is strange," he said. "The Telmarines are afraid of the woods, and the sea. What could drive them there?"</p><p>"Us," Caspian said. "They're looking for us."</p><p>"And they ambushed us," Edmund said. "There's definitely something afoot here."</p><p>They arrived at Aslan's How in record time, the fauns guarding the cave door bowing respectfully. Edmund and Legolas, who was seeing this for the first time, was duly amazed at the form of the cave, which seemed to have a mountain on top of it. Rocks large and small were arranged above it to form the 'mountain', and when they stepped inside their wonder multiplied tenfold.</p><p>As they passed by the walls, Edmund and Legolas noticed the carved inscriptions and stories on them, of kings and queens and a lion. Legolas ran his hand over one and asked what it was.</p><p>"Why, it's the lantern. The one that stands at Lantern Waste," Caspian said.</p><p>"This does not look like any normal lantern, to be placed upon a metal beam..."</p><p>Aragorn led them through, the people and creatures greeting Edmund with grateful smiles and showing him what they made in their smithy; swords and arrows and spears of Narnian make, beautiful and magical under the dancing light of the fires. Another person bent over to gaze at them, giving the weapons an approving tap with his twisted staff.</p><p>Legolas was quite prepared to collapse now-or believe that he was hallucinating.</p><p>"A long time has gone by since our last meeting, Legolas, son of Thranduil."</p><p>A long beard, pointy hat, long, white garments and wrinkled skin. Who could <em>not </em>have recognized him!</p><p>"Oh, why the surprised face? Did you think I was dead again?" Gandalf said, clutching his staff in his hand and smiling.</p><p>Edmund looked up at Gandalf and raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face as he eyed him up and down. "We used to have wizards like you in our courts," he said. "At least, those who weren't even half your height."</p><p>"My tutor was also a magician," Caspian said. "Doctor Cornelius."</p><p>At the term 'magician' Gandalf huffed a little, but he didn't make too much of a fuss about it and gestured for Legolas and Edmund to follow him along with Caspian and Aragorn. Through winding cave hallways bathed in warm orange light they went, deeper and deeper inside, with inscriptions and figures gazing down at them. Edmund took a sharp suck of his breath in as he spotted a carving of him and his brother and sisters in front of their thrones. There were more, of them riding to catch the White Stag, Peter killing Fenris Ulf and Lucy and Susan riding on Aslan. There was even one of him shattering the White Witch's wand, and a rush of pride surged through him.</p><p>The hallway they were in opened out into a more spacious room of sorts, large etchings taller than them looming down, lit by a continuous line of fire under them. The first thing Legolas noticed was the visage of a Lion, gentle and warm and yet stern and solemn.</p><p>In the middle of the cave there was a large slab of stone with writings carved on its borders. It was split in two.</p><p>"The Stone Table," Gandalf said. "The altar on which Aslan's innocent blood was shed for Narnia."</p><p>No one thought of even <em>sitting </em>on it, so they sat near the large inscriptions instead.</p><p>"Now, tell us," Aragorn said. "When have you come here?"</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. A Bit More Storytelling</h2></a>
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    <p>"I see that we all were pulled into this world, then?" Legolas said.</p><p>"All of us, it seems, except Merry and Pippin. We still do not know if they have been dragged into this alternate universe as well, or even at the same time." Aragorn paused. "You say you came only a few days ago?"</p><p>"Two days."</p><p>At this Gandalf and Aragorn exchanged expressions, and Aragorn leant on the hilt of his sword, as if trying to think of how he would say it. Edmund noticed this, raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Legolas, who shared his own confused countenance.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Edmund asked.</p><p>"I have been here ever since Caspian was born."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>Legolas was at a loss for words. The already dim interior seemed to grow even darker at this news.</p><p>"I thought at that time, I would not be able to see you or the others again. At first, of course, I was fearful, but you know me to be a resourceful man, so I found myself serving as one of Miraz's guards at his palace. I grant you do not know Miraz?"</p><p>"Yes, we <em>do</em>," Edmund said. "Nice guy. Sent a <em>whole squad</em> to welcome us into Narnia."</p><p>"Indeed. I was one of the soldiers who waited on the Queen when she was with child, and I was nearby when she gave birth to Caspian, the rightful heir to the throne."</p><p>Adjusting his seat, Edmund nodded. Beside him Legolas was in deep thought, wondering why on earth were they sent later and not at the same time, or why they were even sent at all. Knowing Legolas well enough, Aragorn went on with his story.</p><p>"Miraz took him under his wing, at least for the moment. I knew, as all of the other people of that time until now, that Miraz was an usurper. I could not expect young Caspian to know this, but I watched over him and kept an eye on Miraz at the same time, marking his every move. For a long time he didn't do anything suspicious, and it seemed as if Caspian was safe.</p><p>"Then Caspian had a nurse, who spoke of him of what she called the 'Old Narnians'. I was subtly interested in this kind of talk, and I heard her speak of half-goat men and women, called fauns and satyrs, and of tree spirits-dryads and hamadryads and birch goddesses. The tales she spun was almost believable, but I doubted all that. Though some of them may be true in Middle Earth, I could not help thinking that this world was a world with little magic, if any at all. I assumed they were only bedtime stories for children, to get Caspian to sleep.</p><p>"Then she was sent away one day, and was replaced with a learned doctor, Cornelius. He was sensible and practical in all things, and managed to deftly avoid Miraz's suspicions and educate Caspian in the Telmarine ways. By this time, Caspian was old enough to be taught horseback riding and sword fighting, and I was his trainer for all those things, while the Doctor was the one who took care of the intellectual parts of Caspian's education. Nevertheless, I occasionally overheard him tell stories of the same make as the ones Caspian's old nurse told. It was narrated in a mythical, scholarly manner, however.</p><p>This ignited my suspicions about the stories that Nurse told, and for the first time I wondered if indeed they were true. I wondered especially about the Lion, Aslan, son of the Emperor-Over-the-Sea, the fabled King over all of Narnia.</p><p>"I dared one day to question him about my doubts once I had confirmed his reliability concerning historical matters. 'My dear Aragorn,' he told me, 'I believe you know very little about Narnia. You are not of this world, are you?'</p><p>"'I… am not,' I said, in a whisper. 'But I want to know, do those stories hold any truth, or are they but mere Narnian tales?'</p><p>"The Doctor gave me an odd look, and with a sparkle in his eyes he nodded carefully. 'There is much, much more you do not know. And now that we are on the topic-'</p><p>"He stopped, then shook his head. 'I believe we must mind our own business, yes?' With that, he left me hanging. For good reason, however, since there were others who may overhear us. One did, but I soon made him swear to secrecy and loyalty to me."</p><p>Caspian nodded and smiled nostalgically. "Yes, that is Doctor Cornelius's nature," he said. "I'd almost gone mad with expectation whenever he left off storytelling, just as much as Aragorn."</p><p>"I understood as I saw Miraz lurking nearby, and I dropped the topic-for that moment. I did discern that he would not have told me so much if he did not intend to speak of it to me again. In this, I was not failed.</p><p>But for weeks later, not even a single hint he gave to me, until that night. He approached me then, and asked if I could guard the gate of the lower tower for him, and I agreed. I should also mention that he swore to tell me everything about Narnia, or to 'demystify my mind,' as he so aptly said so.</p><p>"And so I guarded it, letting Cornelius and Caspian go up to the tower-but then the Doctor allowed me to come with them. Then I saw it."</p><p>Legolas and Edmund held their breath.</p><p>"Tarva, the Lord of Victory, and Alambil-"</p><p>"The Lady of Peace," Edmund and Legolas sighed.</p><p>Aragorn seemed surprised that they knew this, and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Alambil. She and Tarva met in the sky-two stars saluting each other, as if foretelling what was to come to pass. I have never seen anything so magical or foreboding, apart from the Elven realm of Lothlorien.</p><p>"'Would they collide?' Caspian asked, awed as much as I was.</p><p>'Nay, dear Prince," the Doctor said. 'The great lords of the upper sky know the step of their dance too well for that. Look well upon them. Their meeting is fortunate and means some great good for the sad realm of Narnia. Tarva, the Lord of Victory, salutes Alambil, the Lady of Peace. They are just coming to their nearest.'</p><p>"As I watched the conjunction, I had to move to a better angle—a tree stood in the way, and I looked across to the taller tower, where I thought that we would see better there, with no trees to obscure our view. Caspian seemed to think so too.</p><p>"And there, after the meeting had taken place, the Doctor turned to both of us and revealed all that we had suspected. 'But you must swear to me, Aragorn, Caspian, that you will not speak of this anywhere but on top of this tower.</p><p>"Caspian and I swore. 'Listen,' the Doctor said. 'All you have heard from me, and from your old Nurse, are all true. Old Narnia was not a land of Men, but a land of Fauns, Dryads and such creatures. It is also the land that Aslan ruled over-and still does. It may be a land different from your own, Aragorn, but you have been called here, I believe, by Aslan himself, as the kings and queens from long ago were.'</p><p>"'It was with whom the first Caspian fought against. It is you Telmarines who silenced the trees and drove the beasts out from their homes into the woods to hide. The King, as you may have noticed by now, does not allow even the mention of them.'</p><p>"Caspian shifted his weight and he looked up at me, then back at the Doctor. 'Oh, I do wish we hadn't. An I'm glad that it was all true, even if it is all over.'</p><p>"'Many of your race wish that in secret,' Cornelius said.</p><p>"'What do you mean <em>our </em>race?" I asked him."</p><p>"'Why, Aragorn,' the Doctor said. 'I thought you would have known.'"</p><p>Aragorn paused, giving a slight smile at Legolas and Edmund, who were both listening, the latter playing with his bowstring and the other sharpening his dagger to pass the time. "You should've known...what?" Edmund asked.</p><p>"The Doctor pulled off his cloak and a shot of fear went through Caspian and I."</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. I Know I Saw Him!</h2></a>
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    <p>Peter, Trumpkin and Gimli finished off whatever they could get from the bear's (ehm) carcass, they stuffed it in their pockets and called the girls back from where they'd ran off to escape the grisly job of tearing flesh and bone apart. If they felt less than pleased that they had to shove the queasy packages into their pockets, they didn't say anything-they'd known very well by this time that they'd feel more than a little thankful once they get hungrier later on.</p><p>Eventually they'd continued on, (Gimli, Trumpkin and Peter dipping their hands in the stream to wash off the leftover blood and slime from their finger) this time more cautiously but carefree enough to banter a little with each other. Everybody's spirits rose, and the stiffness from yesterday's rowing was slowly draining away.</p><p>After a few more hours, Gimli dared to ask, "Are we still going the right way?"</p><p>"Well, as long as we don't get too far left, we should be fine. The only thing that can go wrong by leaning too far to the right is hitting the Rush too fast and losing some time," Peter said. "We'll just cut off the corner."</p><p>And so on and on they plowed through the trees. Hours passed...</p><p>"Where is this Rush of yours, young man?" Gimli said. "Shouldn't we have been able to get there by now?"</p><p>Peter stopped and everyone else did, Susan peering up at the foliage above and Lucy sitting down on a rock to rest for awhile. "I really thought that we should've hit it by now." He looked around, lost. "Let's just keep on going," he added, ignoring Trumpkin's eyes burning into his back.</p><p>And still on they went, panting and groaning, their mail digging into their skin.</p><p>"What on earth?"</p><p>"What's going on up there, Peter?" Lucy asked. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"Don't tell me we're <em>lost," </em>Susan said. "Are we?"</p><p>They had come to the edge of a precipice, almost falling in. An inch and they might've plummeted down to the gorge, breaking their necks, and potentially being drowned by the river below. On the other side the cliffs rose even higher, and it was at this moment that most of them realized that none of them—except maybe Trumpkin—were rock climbers. Which obviously presented an obvious problem.</p><p>Peter turned to the small party. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for coming this way. We're... lost. I've never seen this place in my life at all."</p><p>Gimli coughed, then let out a small whistle.</p><p>"Oh, let's go back to where we started," Susan hissed. "I <em>knew</em> we were going to get lost in these woods somehow."</p><p>"Susan! Don't nag Peter like that," Lucy said. "He's doing all he can, can't you see?"</p><p>Trumpkin puffed on his pipe and shook his head. "Tubs and tortoiseshells!" If we had this much trouble getting here, then what use is it trying to get back? If we're lost now, then what chance have we of finding our way back?"</p><p>"Well, if we suppose that we could go there, hmm..." Gimli thought for awhile. "We won't be able to get to your Caspian in time–and it's our aim to get to him as soon as possible, yes? We'll waste precious time."</p><p>Everyone picked a stone to sit while thinking, Susan picking at the grass in front of her. The sun filtered down beautifully through the foliage, which went unappreciated by all except Lucy.</p><p>"I believe that Your Highness is not lost..." Trumpkin said after a while.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Susan asked.</p><p>"In what way is this not the Rush, your Majesty?"</p><p>Peter huffed. "The Rush is <em>not </em>in a gorge," he said, understandably annoyed.</p><p>"Yes." Trumpkin proceeded cautiously. "But you have known Narnia from hundreds of years ago. Couldn't it have changed? Let's say a landslide pulled the whole cliff over on this side, and that would be our precipices here. Then the Rush might've gone deeper and deeper every passing year till you get the smaller juts of rock over here. Or there could've been an earthquake, for all we know."</p><p>"I never thought of it that way."</p><p>"And even if this is <em>not </em>the Rush, it's flowing readily north, after all, so it must fall into the Great River later on. Maybe not as high as we expected, but no more worse off than when you'd come my way."</p><p>"Well, then, that settles it. We're going down–"</p><p>A cry came from Lucy as she swirled to look at the other side of the gorge. "Look! Look! Look!" she said in a voice trembling not with fear, but with expectation. "It's Aslan!"</p><p>"Aslan?" Trumpkin repeated.</p><p>"Where?" Gimli asked, straining his eyes to see.</p><p>"Over there! Didn't you see?"</p><p>"My eyesight's not the best, lassie. Peter, do you see it?"</p><p>"<em>Him. </em>And no, I didn't."</p><p>Susan stood, a different expression on her face. "Where did you think you saw him?"</p><p>Lucy stamped her foot. "I didn't <em>think </em>I saw him–I did."</p><p>"Where did it–<em>he–</em>was at?" Gimli asked.</p><p>"Right up between those mountain ashes. No, this side of the gorge. And up, not down. He wanted us to go there."</p><p>"How did you know that was what he said?"</p><p>Flushing red, Lucy shook her head. "I—I just do—by his face. Oh, let's go up–he wants us to."</p><p>The others exchanged anxious expressions with each other, puzzled and confused. Each wanted to say something, but held it back partly because they were apprehensive of what the <em>others </em>would say. ...And partly because of Lucy, who looked two parts anxious and angry.</p><p>"Her Majesty may well have seen a lion," Trumpkin finally said. "There are lions in these woods, or so I've been told. But it needn't have been a friendly and talking lion any more than the bear earlier was."</p><p>"Oh, don't be so stupid!" Lucy was turning a slight shade of red. "I know Aslan when I see him."</p><p>"He'd be a pretty elderly lion by now, if he was the same one you know from years ago! And if it <em>was, </em>then who's to say he hasn't grown wild like all the others?"</p><p>Lucy turned crimson, her muscles tensing, gaze piercing through Trumpkin. She started to stamp towards Trumpkin, only stopped by Peter and Gimli.</p><p>"Lass, lass, we have enough to worry about now," Gimli said, not wanting to offend Lucy but not quite wanting to believe in what she was saying too hastily as well.</p><p>"The D.L.F doesn't understand. How could he?" Peter then turned to Trumpkin, whose face had turned ashen. "You mustn't talk about Aslan like that–you have to believe that we know a little bit about Aslan. The only question is whether he was really there or not."</p><p>Lucy pulled on her clothes anxiously, eyes brimming with tears. "But I <em>know </em>he was."</p><p>"Well, we didn't Lucy, so you'd better gather yourself up," Susan said. "Let's vote."</p><p>"Yes, that should be how we should settle this." Peter turned to Trumpkin. "All right, D.L.F, what do you say?"</p><p>"Down. I know next to <em>nothing </em>about Aslan. But if we follow your way, Queen Lucy, it might take us the whole day to find a way to cross it–and time is of the essence. If we want to get to the River as soon as possible, we should go down. And if there <em>are </em>lions, we want to go <em>away </em>from them, not towards."</p><p>"Susan?"</p><p>"Down," Susan said. "I'm sorry, Lu, but... we're all exhausted. None of us saw anything but you, after all."</p><p>"Gimli?"</p><p>"I suggest we follow Her Majesty. I see that there may be truth in her eyes, and following her may turn out to be the better, if it is Aslan who is there."</p><p>Lucy popped up–someone was on her side, and she could almost cry with relief. "Thank you, Gimli!"</p><p>"Now, it's your turn, Peter," Susan said. "And you'd better–"</p><p>"Oh shut up shut up shut up," Peter said rather hastily. "Let one think. Aughh, I'd rather not vote at all."</p><p>"But you are the High King," Trumpkin pointed out.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>Peter gave a deep sigh and turned to Lucy. "I'm so sorry, Lu, but I can't help it. We're going down. It's a shame that we can't do both. Plus, if we go down and get to Caspian sooner, we might just find Legolas and Edmund."</p><p>So they went off downstream, Lucy crying bitterly, Gimli's arm wrapped around her shoulder.</p><hr/><p>If at first it seemed easy to traverse the path, they soon found it more difficult than they had expected to keep to the edge than they first imagined. Before they had gone very far they encountered a young fir wood, which pushed them farther and farther away from the river than any of them wanted, and out of fear that they might get lost, they returned to a more convenient path, still near the Rush.</p><p>They rested for only a while, then went on again.</p><p>It might've been wisdom to stay near the river, since if they took to the forest near the top they would surely have lost their way, even if it didn't take a Calormene sentry to drive them away. A lot of things would keep on blocking your path, making you trip and stumble through the underbrush and leaving you even more exhausted than before.</p><p>Alas, this didn't mean that going along the gorge of the Rush was any more pleasant to traverse.</p><p>It was awful, especially for people who were in a hurry to get to a certain Aslan's How and who happened to be exhausted and tired and missing a proper bed and meals. As they looked over them they saw one or two eagles or hawks (they could never be sure), and made their way through deep moss and past waterfalls, which would have delighted a casual picnic observer. Not so to a group of five trying to get to Caspian and who were praying for Beruna and the path to the Aslan's How.</p><p>And on and on they went.</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Don't Test Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sopespian led Armix through to a secluded place, under the balcony where he remembered the king and his wife looked out on the city, son in their hands. That was why Caspian had left, and for his sakes Armix hoped that he had escaped. They hardly even spoke to each other, but Armix had sensed the potential of a leader in Caspian.</p><p>"Where did you find Caspian in the woods?" Sopespian hissed.</p><p>Armix had allowed him to escape. In the heat of the battle, when it had seemed that the prince was surrounded, he had intentionally let him slip away. It cost him a few choice words (more of which would surely come from Sopespian now) and a few bruises, but then it had been worth it. "In the woods," he said, distracted.</p><p>"Don't test me."</p><p>"What should I say then? Go right, left, then watch for the tree with the squirrel?"</p><p>Sopespian looked about ready to <em>do </em>something, then thought better of it. "Is it true, what they say, that there are... <em>Old Narnians </em>involved when they attacked you?"</p><p>"That isn't true. They were <em>men</em>, wearing disguises. In the middle of battle they must have mistaken them for fauns or centaurs."</p><p>"Do you take me for a fool?"</p><p>Armix shrugged. "I did <em>not </em>see any otherwordly terrestrial creatures, sir." <em>Actually, yes.</em></p><p>For a moment Sopespian was about to pry when Merry and Pippin popped out of nowhere, wearing their squire's uniforms and looking quite... dirty. They exchanged glances with Sopespian, who gave Armix a warning glare and, with a billow of his cloak, walked away.</p><p>"The horse would not cooperate," Pippin said. "Hard-headed."</p><p>"Like you," Merry said, dodging a punch from his friend, then glancing at the form of Sopespian walking away. "Got scolded again?"</p><p>"He was asking about Caspian, and the attack made on us few days ago."</p><p>"Oh, Caspian!" Pippin said. "Who's Caspian?"</p><hr/><p>Aragorn took a break from speaking for a while.</p><p>"Then what?" Edmund asked. After everything, he was <em>not </em>about to be left hanging waiting for the conclusion of a story. Speaking of which, what happened to the Ring?</p><p>He was about to ask Legolas when Caspian cleared his throat. "I'll continue, if that's not too much for you."</p><p>No one seemed to be of a different mind, so Caspian dived into the story, this time from his point of view. "There, in the bright moonlight, the truth hit me rather oddly—I was afraid, seeing that the Doctor was a half-Dwarf, and yet I rejoiced at the thought that there <em>were </em>real Dwarves, and wondered if there were more of them."</p><p>"Did you not notice it before?" Legolas asked. "His stature, his gauntness, as you've said."</p><p>"I was young at the time, and only half-convinced of Old Narnia. And once again, I'd never seen even one of them."</p><p>"I had my doubts," Aragorn muttered to himself.</p><p>"Nevertheless, the Doctor reassured that he meant me no harm at all. 'You have guessed it right, finally,' he said, with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. 'I thought you'd know sooner. Yes, there are still remnants of our kind.'</p><p>"'You've seen them?' I asked. 'Where?'</p><p>"Aragorn seemed to be thinking deeply and he looked up, realization dawning on his face. 'The forest...'</p><p>"'Yes. Sometimes I see a faun dancing in the woods or a centaur amidst the forest and yet...! The vision fades away. And sometimes I can almost hear the pounding of dwarves at work, the trees almost move—but if I look directly they always, always disappear. But I never have completely discounted the fact that there may still be Old Narnians in hiding, somewhere. Something always happens to get my hopes up once again.'</p><p>"'Did they—Peter and Edmund and Lucy and Susan live here long ago, Doctor?' I asked, even though I thought that our castle would be ill-fitting for the Kings and Queens of Narnia.</p><p>"'No, not at all. This palace of yours is but a thing of yesterday. No, the castle of the Kings and Queens are there, by the mouth of the Great River, the star at the shore of the sea. Ruins they may only be now, but once Cair Paravel was a most majestic palace, the crowning jewel of the whole of Narnia.'</p><p>"I reeled back at that time at the mention of the sea. 'You mean...'"</p><p>At this Caspian smiled and shook his head.</p><p>"'Ghosts?' Both Aragorn and the Doctor chuckled at this.</p><p>"'I believe that in my many sojourns in the forests that those are mere stories by your uncle, Your Highness,' Aragorn said. 'You speak as you are taught.'</p><p>"'There are no ghosts there—it is a story the Telmarines have manufactured to embody their fear of the ocean, for Aslan and all the Great Kings and Queens long ago always come from over the sea. They have never quite forgotten it.</p><p>"'That is why they have let forests and woods grow wild and free there, to cut off whoever may try to get to the sea. In doing so, however, they have quarreled with the trees, and it is also that they fear. And, as it is a cowardly thing to fear forests, they have imagined ghosts there, and placed their fear on wispy spirits. They deem it safer that no one gazes upon the ocean's glassy surface, toward Aslan's land and to the eastern end of the world.'</p><p>"For a long while we kept silent, Aragorn smoking his pipe in thought, I looking up at Tarva and Alambil and wondering, what now?</p><p>"'We've been here long enough,' Aragorn said. 'If we do not want to be caught speaking here, we must go.'</p><p>"My countenance fell. 'I would have wanted to talk on and on about these things...'</p><p>"'Someone is bound to look for us if we do that,' the Doctor said. So we went down, Aragorn taking his post back and the Doctor leading me back to my bed. I thought that I would not be able to sleep—my dreams were filled with fauns and satyrs and dryads the whole night that time."</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Peter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Come on, we'll make it somehow."</p><p>Peter himself was drenched in sweat and ready to collapse, but he goaded the others to keep on going—partly so they can find Beruna and partly to get his own spirits up. When he was once High King Peter (<em>I still am, I still am</em>, he thinks) he would speak to his troops like this, encouraging them, marching beside them. Keeping a smile on his face even as the groaning of his limbs intensified, even as old wounds and new ached, as bones ground together with fatigue. He was High King Peter, and he <em>h</em><em>ad </em>to press on.</p><p>And he'd found that giving his subordinates strength gave him some too.</p><p>As he came over a bend he gasped.</p><p>"Oh, hurray!"</p><p>"What is it—oh, Peter!" Susan exclaimed.</p><p>The whole view laid before them, the gleaming silver Rush twisting and turning below them. Open country stretched beyond them, what once was the Ford of Beruna now connected with a bridge which (in Lucy's opinion) lessened the glory of the Ford.</p><p>"Beruna... We fought the Battle of Beruna there!" Peter said, thrusting his hand towards a small town in the distance. "By Jove, it's been so long!"</p><p>A rush of energy came through Peter, a warmth he couldn't describe. It was as if he was seeing all his former battles, one on top of the other, play in front of him simultaneously there on Beruna. It'd been years—<em>centuries</em>?—ever since they happened, but now it became tangible, and it gave him the morale he needed.</p><p>"Edmund would love to see this," Lucy said. "Oh, Ed!"</p><p>It threw a lonely shade on the party.</p><p>"We'll find him, Your Majesty," Gimli said. "And Legolas."</p><p>"Now we know we're close," Peter said. "we can double up our time and maybe we'll reach there in time and have Caspian find Ed and Legolas."</p><p>They went on a more upbeat pace now, Peter and Susan narrating their great battles (mostly Peter), and soon most of them felt lighter and less burdened by their armor. Even Trumpkin was beginning to become interested. Though there were still steep cliffs on either side of them, the gorge was now only a mere valley, and soon they were in fairly thick woods again.</p><p>
  <em>whizz</em>
</p><p>Gimli flinched and whirled around to see what it was. The children felt an awful chill rush through them, wondering what was it about the sound that made them loathe it.</p><p>"Get down!" Gimli shouted, almost in unison with Trumpkin, knocking Lucy and Susan to the ground.</p><p>
  <em>whizz</em>
</p><p>"Peter!" Susan shouted.</p><p>Peter was looking up at the foliage when he stopped short in front of a tree trunk, a cruel arrow buried deep into it. He shuddered. Another came rasping over his shoulder and he grabbed Susan's arm. "Come on, let's go, let's go!" he shouted, throwing himself to the ground as more arrows flew past. "<em>Crawl!</em>"</p><p>They shimmied, wriggled and creeped amongst the bracken nd moss under them. The horrible buzzing of the arrows urged them on along with Peter's desperate calls.</p><p>"Faster, we have to go faster!" Peter kept on dragging himself along, the rush of adrenaline making him remember those times when he did <em>not </em>succeed—when he failed and had to call his army back. He could only count them on one hand, the times he'd had to retreat, but the number of troops—<em>friends, brothers, allies</em>—he'd lost could never be numbered. <em>I will not let any of us die, </em>he thought, heart pounding in his chest. <em>I cannot let them go.</em></p><p>An arrow sailed past Gimli, almost clipping off part of his ear. "Peter!"</p><p>It tore through Peter's shoulder.</p><p>Hazy with adrenaline, Peter couldn't think, much less feel the pain. He hadn't even let up calling to the others, goading them to get on. Up up and up they went, over ground already gone over, until they stopped, unable to move, even to save their lives. Panting, they pricked up their ears for any sign that they were still being pursued.</p><p>"That's all right, then," Trumpkin. "Must be some sentries. But that means that Miraz has an outpost there!"</p><p>"Peter!" Lucy cried out.</p><p>Now that everything was all right and the adrenaline was beginning to lose its numbing effect, Peter winced and clutched his shoulder and the broken shaft of the arrow, blood pulsing dark red with each beat of his heart. He bit back his gasps, but his pale face and wide eyes said all.</p><p>Trumpkin set his jaw. "We have to get to Caspian as soon as possible."</p><p>Wrapping an arm around Lucy, Gimli rushed through all the Elvish methods of healing, but he doubted they would work here in another world, with its own kind of magic...</p><p>"Now, now, lassies, keep a chin up! If we are near the Aslan's How, then there is a great chance that we will get help for Peter."</p><p>Susan turned her eyes away from Peter's wound and looked at Gimli. "We have to clean it first."</p><p>"In our world, in Middle Earth, there is a way to heal such wounds... but I have seen only Elves do so. As for their spells, well..."</p><p>"What spell?" Trumpkin asked. "It works?"</p><p>Realizing what he'd just done, Gimli shook his head. "In our world, yes, but I am not sure..."</p><p>"We should try it," Lucy said, wiping the few tears on her face.</p><p>"Yes, yes," Susan said. "But not here, or they might find us."</p><p>They carried on with a newfound haste, Susan supporting Peter as much as she can.</p><hr/><p>"I told you many many times before that Caspian is the prince of this castle," Armix sighed, looking out at the blue sky. It reminded him of the ocean, which had a deeper blue than it, which almost overwhelmed his sight when he stood by the shore. It sucked, having to pretend to be a Telmarine in order to get a job. He wasn't supposed to be associated with these—these <em>invaders.</em></p><p>But if that was what he was commissioned to do, then...</p><p>"You said you let Caspian escape?" Pippin said. "Why?"</p><p>"He has been kind to me, unlike Miraz. And so has his mentor, who has escaped along with him. I can only hope that they are all safe, and possibly with the Narnians. I would give anything to get things back to normal."</p><p>"What's your normal, anyway?" Merry asked.</p><p>"Well, when I was younger, I loved to look out at the sea. I was small, so I could sneak past the sentries to the forest and Cair Paravel, and—the sea! It was beautiful, glinting before me... what I would do to smell its salty scent again and feel the cool water on my skin. If I could, I would bring you there."</p><p>"That would be nice," Pippin said. "Ah, Armix, where are you going?"</p><p>"I am to guard the Professor. He is also kind to me, although I cannot do anything to help him..."</p><p>"Nothing?"</p><p>"Yes. If I so much as tried to open his cell door, I would die."</p><p>"But he's your friend—as is Caspian."</p><p>Armix stopped in his tracks, and Pippin did too, Merry walking right into his back with an 'oof.'</p><p>"They are."</p><p>Then he continued on without nary a look at the two. Pippin turned to Merry.</p><p>"Are you all right?"</p><p>"He said the sea, right?"</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Do you remember what we saw that time, when we teleported?" Merry was beginning to become more enthusiastic. "It was—"</p><p>"A beach! Do you think if we—?"</p><p>"The others might be here too!"</p><p>They slapped hands and took gasps of relief. They might not be alone, after all. Pippin gulped.</p><p>"But how do we find them?"</p><p>Merry shrugged. "I thought you'd tell me that."</p><p>They looked out at where Armix had disappeared. "Wait! Armix!"</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Meetings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="xcontrast">
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p></p>
    <div>
      <p>"I wonder where Peter and the others are," Edmund wondered out loud as he and Legolas looked out over the plain. They'd decided to stretch their legs for a while, after all that sitting and listening to Caspian and Aragorn. "They should be here by now. Could something have happened to them?</p>
      <p>"I've a mind to find them," Legolas said. "They cannot be too far from here."</p>
      <p>"But didn't Alambil tell us that we're needed <em>here</em>?"</p>
      <p>"Yes. Yes, she did."</p>
      <p>"Does that mean we should just wait?"</p>
      <p>Giving him a smile, Legolas ran his hand over the Narnian bow that Aragorn had given him. "You are not one of patience, are you?"</p>
      <p>"No—I mean I am, but with Lucy, Susan and Peter out there, who knows what could happen? You saw the ambush party that'd been sent us. It's been a full day or so. What if they'd been caught?" Edmund paled, then turned away, squinting into the horizon, blue turning to gold and amber in shade.</p>
      <p>"Then I believe we must trust Alambil... and Aslan."</p>
      <p>"Yes." A grin crept up Edmund's lips. "So you believe in Aslan, then?"</p>
      <p>Legolas didn't answer.</p>
      <hr/>
      <p>Later that day Legolas and Edmund amused themselves with meeting most of Caspian's soldiers and get to meet them. As Aragorn had quipped earlier, "When you head off to the war you have to know who are on your side, after all."</p>
      <p>"Let me introduce you," Caspian said. "This is Glenstorm, one of our highly respected men. He was the one who had the idea to take on the idea of a war."</p>
      <p>Not used to people being taller than him, Legolas found it queer to be looking up at a centaur twice his height—it made him feel, well, small. In keeping with his dignity, he gave him a nod of greeting, but couldn't help staring at Glenstorm's equine half. He also couldn't help the questions running in his mind.</p>
      <p>Does he have children? A separate stomach he has to feed? How long does he live?</p>
      <p>"Three sons. I do not know exactly how long we centaurs may live, but our lifespans are longer than that of men. And yes, I have a second stomach."</p>
      <p>Legolas paled. Did he ask that out loud?</p>
      <p>"Never mind that Legolas," Edmund said, grinning. "We also had a lot of questions when we first ruled Narnia. You should've heard Lu."</p>
      <p>"This is Pattertwig, our, uhm.." Caspian seemed to struggle finding words to describe the squirrel, but he needn't have. Pattertwig dealt with it excellently on his own.</p>
      <p>"Who's this? A new kind of man? Friends from Archenland? You with your white skin—have you news of King Nain? Shall he assist us? Or must I go to see him and speak with him of the battle arrangements? Or—"</p>
      <p>It was a good five minutes before Edmund or Caspian was able to get a word in.</p>
      <p>"No, thank you, Pattertwig, we have it sorted," Edmund said. "Typical squirrel behavior."</p>
      <p>"He's reliable, so don't you go on hating on him like that," a surly voice said. "Tch."</p>
      <p>"This is Nikabrik, a Black Dwarf."</p>
      <p>Eyeing Legolas and Edmund up and down, Nikabrik huffed. "As always, choose the taller ones. Like we Dwarves can't take care of ourselves." Huffing he went off on his way.</p>
      <p>"So, how'd you get here in the first place if you were in the palace?" Edmund asked.</p>
      <p>"Miraz had a son."</p>
      <p>"That's not good then."</p>
      <p>"An utter understatement, I believe," someone said. "It is a catastrophe, I must believe."</p>
      <p>Legolas wondered where the voice was coming from, then heard the voice clear its throat from somewhere under him. Blinking, he looked down at a mouse with dark fur and a ring around his ear and a sword strapped to his waist. He blanched.</p>
      <p>"You're a—"</p>
      <p>Caspian shook his head, eyes trained on the newcomer.</p>
      <p>"A great warrior," Legolas said, catching the hint. "It is an honor to meet you, noble... soldier."</p>
      <p>At this the mouse seemed to be surprised. "Hah! That's a first. It is an honor to be the acquaintance of such a chivalrous new soldier in our ranks. You hail from Archenland, no doubt?"</p>
      <p>"No."</p>
      <p>"Nay! Do not tell me you are one of the Telmarines?"</p>
      <p>"I am a Mirkwood elf."</p>
      <p>"An elf?" The mouse shrugged. "I have heard of elves being present in the creation of Narnia, but I did not expect them to exist up until now. Pray tell, are there any others of your kind?"</p>
      <p>"This is Legolas," Edmund said. "And Legolas, this is Reepicheep."</p>
      <p>"A pleasure."</p>
      <p>"The pleasure is mine. And who are you?" Reepicheep looked to Edmund.</p>
      <p>"Edmund."</p>
      <p>"King Edmund? Your Majesty."</p>
      <p>After making a few more rounds and meeting so many people (not necessarily men) Edmund and Legolas were pretty ready for another batch of story telling.</p>
      <p>Or not.</p>
      <p>
        <strong>TBC...</strong>
      </p>
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  </div>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. What Now?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They made it to a hollow right above the fir wood which had obstructed them before. Here they were more or less protected from the outpost below and were more or less able to rest for the night. Peter, pale with pain, propped himself up against a tree while Susan busied herself trying to dress the wound as much as she can. Which meant that there was a decent amount of dress tearing. Lucy's vial had been lost somewhere on the way.</p><p>"It's lucky that Susan thought of wearing a dress," Lucy said. "At least we have something to bind Peter's wound with."</p><p>Susan worked in silence, only the small whispers of reassurance and care slipping past her lips.</p><p>"Susan, I—"</p><p>"Shush." She pulled the cloth tighter. "Let me do this."</p><p>The thought that Peter was planning to take medicine in college struck Susan, and she pressed her lips together. Ironic. The future medic, now the present invalid.</p><p>It was wondrous, how, when the attacks came to them in London, when their city was bombed, when everything fell apart, none of them were hurt. Except for Edmund, with a few cuts from shattered glass, all of them had escaped almost certain death. And even when they were thrown into a different war here in Narnia, they'd survived. And that was a war with magic and malice, with Aslan dying and rising again to conquer the White Witch.</p><p>It reminded her again of wounded soldiers and creatures, Edmund and Peter only two of the injured people. Though their two boys escaped the stony fate the White Witch had intended to subject them to, they'd broken bones, scratched skin, and yet pushed through to victory. With Lucy's elixir of life, they'd been spared death and injury.</p><p>Peter groaned—Susan had tugged at an awkward angle that aggravated the abrasion. Muttering her apologies, she resumed mechanically cleaning the wound.</p><p>"Don't worry, Lu, I'll be fine," Peter said. Lucy had approached them, braving her aversion to wounds and blood.</p><p>"I'm sorry. If I had my vial here, you would've been cured by now."</p><p>"It's not your fault," Peter said. "I'm just glad you're all right."</p><p>"I'm sure we'll find Caspian soon. Aslan will help us."</p><p>Susan stole a glance at her younger sister. Lucy always seemed to see the brighter things in life, and she was always bright and sprightly, whatever the weather. It irked her but in the next year when they were coping without Narnia, Lucy had helped her dance away from the thin line of her loneliness and longing to depression. Even with the war going on, Lucy stayed the same. A lighthouse that beamed hope.</p><p>"Did you really think you saw Him back there, Lu?" Susan asked.</p><p>"Of course I did!" Lucy pouted. "That's unfair. I saw Him, I didn't just think so."</p><p>"Then where is He now?"</p><p>It hurt Susan, seeing Lucy bite her lip and avert her eyes. She had the most faith in Aslan and challenging her here, where she had no defense at all, was truly a cruel thing to do. But Susan wanted to open her eyes to the fact that maybe now Aslan would not come. Maybe He'd forgotten, after all. That they had to rely on themselves for survival.</p><p>Still, by and by, Lucy stayed silent, soothing Peter with her presence, trying not to look perturbed.</p><p>But Susan knew she was. And she almost regretted upsetting her.</p><hr/><p>Armix was already at his post by the Doctor's cell—and listened once again to the old magician, as he spun tales for him. He never begged for release, but bore his imprisonment with a quiet resolve. If it was him, he'd surely have grown mad from the stillness.</p><p>"Hope you're not getting too bored, sir," Armix said, sharpening his sword.</p><p>"I believe I must ask you that?" The Doctor's voice had a tinge of amusement in it. "Are there any news of Caspian yet?" He said in a lower voice.</p><p>Focusing on his weapon, Armix stared into the distance and his lips barely moved. "I believe he is forming a resistance of sorts, one of which we suppressed a few days before."</p><p>"Hm."</p><p>Sometimes the Doctor could be hardly stopped from talking, but now Armix couldn't pull even two words from his lips. This was going to be a boring shift, it seems.</p><p>"Armix! There you are." Merry went over, Pippin right behind him.</p><p>"Why, who are these?" the Doctor asked, interest apparently piqued. "I have seen none of their kind before. What do you call yourselves?"</p><p>"I'm Pippin, and this is my friend, Merry. We're Hobbits."</p><p>The Doctor rubbed his beard and peered at them through his thin-rimmed spectacles, in deep thought. "Hm."</p><p>"We're his squires," Merry said. The mere fact that Pippin had told the Doctor what they really were unnerved him, and he felt a need to compensate. "We help with him, ehrm, squir-ing."</p><p>While Merry entertained the Doctor, Pippin pulled Armix to the side and asked, quite plainly, if there was really a ghost-infested sea beyond the woods, and if per chance they could get there. In response, Armix shuddered and shook his head.</p><p>"Not anytime soon," he said. "Though I'm not so sure about the ghosts, I'm sure the stories about the dryads and birch-gods are true. Only, I don't have evidence to prove it yet. On any hand, I'm not going to the woods, much less the sea, anytime soon." Armix licked his lips. "And even if I was, I wouldn't bring you. Sopespian is going to... you know." He waved his hand vaguely.</p><p>"But what if you just show us the way there?" Pippin asked.</p><p>"And get caught? No thanks."</p><p>Armix is one hard person to convince, but during the past few days Pippin and Merry had—ahh, mapped out some of his intricacies. A vital skill to have, even when they were still riding on horses and fighting back in Middle Earth. He tried appealing to some of Armix's better natures. "We're looking for our other friends, and who knows where they are now? We need to look for them, before Miraz catches them."</p><p>"If they are here, they'd be caught by now."</p><p>"But didn't Caspian escape?"</p><p>"He knows the landscape better than you do—at least, better than your friends." Armix said this in a concluding tone of voice. Clearly the conversation was done.</p><p>Well, it was best they tried.</p><p>When Armix sent them off, Pippin shared the unfortunate news, but no sooner had he finished than Merry interrupted with his own form of news.</p><p>"I've discovered a way we can find the others," Merry said. "The Doctor told me all about it while you were trying to convince Armix and everything."</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Forwards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Bulk posting, baby!<br/>Cherish this, my AO3 children, because production will now grind to a jarring halt.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"There must be battles you have engaged in recently," Legolas said. Edmund and he had noticed some soldiers being patched up, some with only the mildest injuries, while nurses attended to the ones who were unconscious and too ill to get up. Most of them were Talking bears and Dwarves.</p><p>"About that—" Caspian began, but Glenstorm asked for a word with him.</p><p>Aragorn watched the two disappear into the caves, then turned to Edmund and Legolas. "It has been a tough time on us recently, with all the failed attacks and defense of the How. Miraz's forces battered us endlessly over these past few months. For instance, the time when Miraz's scouts found our lair out. Regiment after regiment arrived just outside the borders of the woods—not as much as I'd seen when we were in the War of the Ring, but considering how many we were, it was a hard battle. The attack beat and injured most of our better warriors."</p><p>Sensing that there was more to it than Aragorn was telling, Edmund raised an eyebrow. "And? Just that?"</p><p>"Of course not, Your Highness. There was a battle that occurred only a few days before you and the others have arrived in Narnia. It was supposed to be a fight wherein we would be able to at least show Miraz the strength behind our rebellion. However... the plan did not go well." Although he didn't show it, Aragorn's disappointment and irritation punctuated his controlled words. "We lost yet again, and with worse casualties than before. Even now the Black Dwarves are protesting against us."</p><p>Edmund perched himself on a well-placed rock and sharpened his dagger. "Not good news, then."</p><p>"It certainly lowered our morale. However, I believe it has been for the better. In that battle, I blew your sister's horn."</p><p>"Speaking of which, how did you find it?"</p><p>"Caspian's tutor gave it to me when he escaped, which I then gave to Caspian. I ended up carrying it, however, during that battle. It has proven to be... effective."</p><p>"But—" Legolas's mind raced. "If you have arrived even before we have, then you could not have been called by Susan's horn."</p><p>This occurred to Aragorn before, and now he tapped the hilt of his dagger to his lip. "I believe someone else called us. Or, at least, something else, I believe."</p><p>"Aslan?" Edmund suggested. "Nothing ever happens in Narnia without his permission, after all."</p><p>Before Aragorn could answer, someone came along—a faun that Edmund recognized to be the one guarding outside. He offered a sharp salute of sorts. "We have spotted a soldier and what we would... presume to be his men."</p><p>Noticing the halt in the faun's voice, Aragorn stood. "Where did you see him?"</p><p>"He is no longer there," the faun said. "But I think he may report back to Miraz. I cannot imagine another reason." A pause. "Should we investigate?"</p><p>Edmund waved Legolas over. "We'll go out and see what it's all about. It might be another outpost, like most of you said." <em>Or the others might be there as well, </em>he thought, but said nothing out loud. "We'll be back soon, we swear." Half-dragging and pulling Legolas, Edmund retraced their steps back outside, where Legolas finally pried his arm from Edmund's vise grip.</p><p>"Must I come with you?" Legolas asked. "I believe it <em>isn't </em>because of your concern for the safety of the How that led you here."</p><p>"No, not exactly," Edmund said while picking up his walk into a half-jog, eager to slip into the forest. He noted with a smile how Legolas shook his head and yet still followed him. Based on how Legolas' face, he wasn't too keen on being dragged outside so soon. "Come on, keep up. We still have to find the others."</p><p>The thought of Gimli flashed through Legolas' mind. "We have no certainty that they were who the faun saw, and if ever it was indeed them, then why have they not come here straight away, as was our initial plan."</p><p>Edmund didn't answer, ducking under stray tree branches and leaping over bushes. It was strange for him to sense the tug in the air driving him to the woods as soon as the faun mentioned seeing someone there. He could guess that Peter would've been worried, Susan a little irritated but concerned, and Lucy most anxious of all.</p><p>"There is something bothering you, I can sense it." Legolas pulled his hair from a few twisted branches. "Is it because of your family?"</p><p>Edmund could swear that Legolas had this seventh sense. "You can say that." Then, "You miss yours?"</p><p>"They are all across the Sea before I came here."</p><p>"When do you expect they'll return?"</p><p>"Never."</p><p>Edmund frowned. "I'm sure they haven't forgotten you," he insisted.</p><p>Legolas looked surprised. "You misunderstand. They <em>cannot</em> return."</p><p>"You mean they're... dead."</p><p>"No, not at all," Legolas said. "They have reached Valinor." Seeing Edmund raise an eyebrow, Legolas' mind whirred as to how he would put it in the words of their tongue. The closest he could think of... "It is much like Heaven."</p><p>"Dead, then?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Edmund shook his head. "I don't get it. No can get to Heaven unless they die. At least in our world."</p><p>They stared at each other, musing on just how far their worlds were, and how different. But what didn't cross their minds, although it was obvious as day, was the thought of how they would ever return to their respective dimensions. Strangers in Narnia never have such a thought while they were there. Much like a lucid dream you never want to end, so was their view of their hopefully not too brief visit here.</p><p>Legolas whirled around, hand flying to the dagger by his side. "There is someone there."</p><p>"Yeah, I saw it too. Who's there?" Edmund called out.</p><p>No response.</p><hr/><p>"That wouldn't work," Merry said. It was too preposterous, too risky, but he should probably know better. After all, nothing would ever beat Gandalf's <em>excellent </em>plan on sending Frodo and Sam on a suicide mission. Never mind if it saved the whole of Middle Earth, it was laughable to think about in retrospect.</p><p>"It's worth a try," Pippin countered, excited. "Think of that! We can head off and get to that rebellion. I can swear that Aragorn or Legolas or one of the others would be there."</p><p>"How do you know?"</p><p>"I just do. But we'll have to leave soon, before Armix heads to their outpost nearby the woods, or we aren't going to be able to get away from the camp once we're there."</p><p>"And when is 'soon'?" Merry asked.</p><p>"Tomorrow."</p><p>With that Pippin had headed off without him, leaving him without even a chance to argue. Well, he can be like that most of the time—once Pippin had something in his mind he'd go through with it. To be honest, even Merry was pulled in with his antics, back when they were in the Shire... and it wasn't like Merry could do about it.</p><p>Or <em>wanted </em>to do anything about it.</p><p>He headed rather reluctantly, but resolutely, in the direction Pippin had headed to.</p><hr/><p>Everyone, except for Susan, fell asleep as soon as dinner was done. There was nothing else to be done for Peter, and Lucy had reluctantly obeyed Susan's goading for her to go to sleep. Susan half-expected her to protest, but to her surprise Lucy obeyed without complaint.</p><p>She laid there for a while, senses heightened, eyes staring up at the Narnian sky, the stars twinkling down at her in utter silence. Lifting up her hand, she traced connections between them, murmuring the names of the constellations to herself. They comforted her, in a way.</p><p>She must've fallen asleep, because when she woke up the trees seemed to have shifted, the skies a deeper, darker black.</p><p>Someone was calling her in the sweetest voice she'd ever heard, much like her father's. <em>Father. </em>It almost felt like it was, but Susan knew that was impossible. Yet it sounded so familiar and comforting. She stayed, unwilling to move. Mixed dread and expectation churned in her chest.</p><p>The voice called again. "Susan."</p><p>No use. She had to go.</p><p>As she stood up, the fear thrummed her muscles and shuddered through her bones, but deep inside the voice struck a different chord than the rest of her. It burst into a song that she constantly heard long ago—when she was Queen Susan the Gentle, when she and her siblings ruled over the land in its Golden Age, when she raced in the woods, hair streaming past her face...</p><p>Before they tumbled back out of the wardrobe.</p><p>The moon shed its silver rays on the forest before her, the brightness it brought almost as lucid as day. The fir wood stretched their gangly arms above her, showering her with the filtered moonlight between their leaves. Susan looked up at the trees, tracing their rough trunks with her fingers, and she felt the slightest stirring beneath their bark.</p><p>Almost as if they were waking up.</p><p>"They're–they're moving," Susan gasped. "They're trying to walk."</p><p>A rustling sound roared through the forest, as if a strong wind was rushing through the trees, but there was no wind. It was no noise either, but more like an unknown song that sounded strange to human ears–a tree-song, if you will. As Susan looked up at the birches, she saw glimpses of eyes within the deep creases and a nose for the crooked branches, but when she stared harder they turned back to regular trees once more. Every plant she saw underwent this transformation. One moment they seemed to be frisky ladies or solemn old men, but the next moment they were birches or oaks or beeches again.</p><p>"I say, they're waking up," Susan said, the slightest shiver in her voice. The trees kept on rustling and their branches brushed her forward to a clearing, where the voice was calling her to.</p><p>She stepped out of the coagulation of moonlight and branches and stood there in shock, unable to believe what she saw.</p><p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Moonlit Night 2</h2></a>
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    <p>Gandalf had seen the two leave, and he murmured to himself, tapping his staff on the rock under him, the faun guard taking his post beside him again.</p>
<p>"Where are they going?"</p>
<p>"They are about to find Miraz's convoys, sir," the faun replied. He wouldn't mention it out of plain Narnian courtesy, but he found the wizard eccentric, if not to mention downright odd. However, he was not the cruel, cold kind–at least he was not of the same stock as the White Witch. He seemed harmless enough.</p>
<p>Gandalf, as far as the faun knew, was another of Caspian's aides who taught him more on the magical side. Miraz had the wizard as an honored guest, but the way it sounded it seemed as if Miraz was trying to keep Gandalf at arm's length. And according to more of what he'd heard from Aragorn, Gandalf was a bit less reserved than the esteemed Doctor that Caspian talked about so often and so fondly about.</p>
<p>"Can I help you with anything?" the faun asked.</p>
<p>"No, no," Gandalf responded, rising to his feet. "I believe you have much more pressing matters to take care of, hm?"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>With that, the wizard disappeared back into the How out of the guard's view, then slunk away into the forest.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Susan blanched. She didn't want to leave, but she found she couldn't take another step, or do anything for that matter. She might as well be catatonic.</p>
<p>"My child," the voice said, beckoning her nearer.</p>
<p>"Aslan?" Her voice sounded distant and murky.</p>
<p>The trees trembled around Susan, to encourage her, their branches pushing her forward and through their leafy line up to the Lion standing in the clearing. She let herself be pushed around and she wiped her sweaty hands on her dress, tracing the ripped edge the cloth had after she'd cut it for Peter's dressings. "Aslan," she repeated, not knowing why. The name hung heavy and honey-sweet on her tongue.</p>
<p>"Susan." Aslan looked straight at her, and she fell to her knees of her own accord.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry, Aslan, I never meant to—I believed it was you that time, but I wanted to get out of the woods and I know that you might be angry and..." Susan trailed off, realizing how absurd the things that tumbled out of her mouth sounded. Instead of trying to rationalize anymore, she sat down, silent, eyes turned down to the ground. She felt the heavy paw on her head, and bit her lip, trying to prepare for whatever would happen. That was it. She couldn't do anything, say anything. For so, so long she'd struggled to control everything, but now she found she'd controlled nothing.</p>
<p>"My daughter, come."</p>
<p>Lucy appeared out of the shadows, and she bounded up to Aslan, a shy expression on her face as she looked at Susan.</p>
<p>"It's quite all right, Susan," Lucy said. "Aslan isn't angry. He's a little disappointed, that's all."</p>
<p>Once Aslan put his paw off of her, Susan stood up, shaking. "I'm sorry, Aslan."</p>
<p>"You have listened to fears, child."</p>
<p>"I..."</p>
<p>"Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them." His breath, far from bitter, wafted memories back to Susan, happy memories not without fear but with absolute trust. Strength seemed to flow into her through Aslan's breath, and she nodded quite suddenly.</p>
<p>"I feel stronger now, Aslan." She wiped a few tears from her cheeks.</p>
<p>"Oh, Susan," Lucy said, coming over to her and throwing her hands about her waist. "See, Aslan isn't angry at you at all. And I'm not either," she added when she saw Susan about to open her mouth.</p>
<p>"Aslan," Susan said. "Would it have been better if, if I'd agreed with Lucy? Would it have been all right in the end?"</p>
<p>Instead of answering her, Aslan gave her a kindly look that returned her question back to her. She pressed her fists on her lap and took a light breath. "Then it would've been all right? It would've been better, then? Would Peter have been spared? Aslan—"</p>
<p>"My child, no one is given the privilege to know what could have been."</p>
<p>"But, Aslan..."</p>
<p>"<em>However</em>, it is not beyond anyone to know what may happen."</p>
<p>Even without Aslan saying it straight out, Lucy and Susan knew what they were supposed to do at once, and the thought of waking the others up and having them travel in the dark made their stomachs churn. Surely Peter would have a tough time climbing over rocks and moving in general, and Trumpkin could be a hard one to convince, with all his disbelief in the supernatural. Gimli could be easier to handle, but... "Susan," Lucy said, braking the silence between them. "We musn't think about it too much. We just have to do it."</p>
<p>"It's going to be hard," Susan moaned under her breath. "but for you Aslan, we'll do it."</p>
<p>"There is no more time to lose," Aslan said. "Legolas and Edmund have awaited your arrival for far too long."</p>
<p>Lucy and Susan perked up at the mention of the two boys. "Aslan, are they—?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Psst, Peter."</p>
<p>Susan bit her lip. It seemed so cruel, waking Peter up, knowing that his shoulder had probably bothered him all through the night and how lightly he slept once he could. Drawn features contorted as Peter winced, then focused bleary eyes on Susan. "What—What's going on?"</p>
<p>"I—We—Lucy and I, we saw Aslan."</p>
<p>"Aslan!" Peter jerked up, a shot of pain through his shoulder forcing him back down. His face blanched, but he looked around anxiously for Aslan. "Where?"</p>
<p>"Over there."</p>
<p>Trumpkin peered into the darkness and scoffed. "Ey, Gimli, d'you see anything?"</p>
<p>"No, only moonlight and forest. Lassie, you might've been dreaming. It's your worry for your brother, that is."</p>
<p>"No, no, he <em>is </em>there," Lucy insisted. "I know he is! Oh, please, please we have to go."</p>
<p>She turned to see Susan helping Peter onto his feet. Peter still had his eyes trained on where Susan had pointed to, squinting his eyes and trying to see Aslan. "But Susan, I can't see him. Where is he?" Although Peter himself was, deep inside, convinced, there was the other part of him that wondered if he was still dreaming. When he stumbled into Susan, though, his shoulder complained. Maybe not so much a dream.</p>
<p>Gimli was already on his feet, Peter's armor and a few more supplies on his back. He couldn't see Aslan yet, but something in him wanted to, though he wasn't so much sold on the idea quite yet. Intrigue had a hand to play in it as well.</p>
<p>"Come along, then," Trumpkin said. "I'd rather march than be kept here standing."</p>
<p>
  <strong>TBC...</strong>
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